20121207028009A

Accident · Minor damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 369D · Mt. Wilson, CA · December 7, 2012

Date: December 7, 2012 · 09:30 local
Place: Mt. Wilson, CA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N818CE
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR13CA071
Reported as: Hughes 369D
Reported engine: Allison 250 SER 250HP
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 11,896 total556 in this make and model99 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft was near Mt. Wilson California in cruise flight with the doors removed. A pair of unsucured headsets departed the cabin and impacted the tail rotor (t/r). Aircraft landed safely. T/r damage and twisting evidence on t/r drive shaft required the replacement of t/r, t/r gear box, and t/r drive shaft. The pilot was not injured.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS NEAR MT. WILSON CALIFORNIA IN CRUISE FLIGHT WITH THE DOORS REMOVED. A PAIR OF UNSUCURED HEADSETS DEPARTED THE CABIN AND IMPACTED THE TAIL ROTOR (T/R). AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY. T/R DAMAGE AND TWISTING EVIDENCE ON T/R DRIVE SHAFT REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT OF T/R, T/R GEAR BOX, AND T/R DRIVE SHAFT. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR13CA071Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportPasadena, CAAn unsecured headset, which struck the leading edge of a tail rotor blade. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate safety briefing.Dec 7, 2012 · Substantial damage