20131019025479I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Hughes 369D · Claudville, VA · October 19, 2013

Date: October 19, 2013 · 11:45 local
Place: Claudville, VA
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: SJKL
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N53846
Reported as: Hughes 369D
Reported engine: Allison 250-C20 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 24,100 total18,500 in this make and model175 in the last 90 days

N53846Registered now · Hughes Helicopters HUGHES 369DS/N 1070-D · Built 1982 Airframe modelHughes Helicopters HUGHES 369D Engine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

On October 19, 2013 at 11:45 am local time, a 1982 Hughes 369D, N53846, was trimming trees for the power line right of way with an aerial saw. During the operation the rotorcraft rotor blades contacted a pine tree branch. The pilot flew the aircraft to the heliport for inspection. The inspection revealed that the underside of all 5 rotor blades showed some form of contact with the tree branch. On further inspection it was determined that 2 of the blades were non-serviceable and the other 3 blades were serviceable. A inspection of the transmission and drive line was performed iaw the service manual. The helicopter was fitted with 5 serviceable blades and was returned to service. There was no injury to the crewmember and no further damage to the helicopter.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 19, 2013 AT 11:45 AM LOCAL TIME, A 1982 HUGHES 369D, N53846, WAS TRIMMING TREES FOR THE POWER LINE RIGHT OF WAY WITH AN AERIAL SAW. DURING THE OPERATION THE ROTORCRAFT ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED A PINE TREE BRANCH. THE PILOT FLEW THE AIRCRAFT TO THE HELIPORT FOR INSPECTION. THE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE UNDERSIDE OF ALL 5 ROTOR BLADES SHOWED SOME FORM OF CONTACT WITH THE TREE BRANCH. ON FURTHER INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT 2 OF THE BLADES WERE NON-SERVICEABLE AND THE OTHER 3 BLADES WERE SERVICEABLE. A INSPECTION OF THE TRANSMISSION AND DRIVE LINE WAS PERFORMED IAW THE SERVICE MANUAL. THE HELICOPTER WAS FITTED WITH 5 SERVICEABLE BLADES AND WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. THERE WAS NO INJURY TO THE CREWMEMBER AND NO FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER.