# Accident 20150805011819A: Md Helicopters Inc 369E, August 5, 2015

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 5, 2015, 22:30 local time
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Operator: 5GCL
- Location: 48.4336° N, 114.4183° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.4336&lon=-114.4183&mi=10
- Aircraft: N43792 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: MD HELICOPTERS INC 369E
- Reported engine: ALLISON 250-C20R/2
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 933 total, 367 in this make and model, 54 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA15LA217](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA15LA217) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150805011819A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PILOT NOTIFIED OF WILDFIRE BURNING ONE HALF MILE BEHIND HIS RESIDENCE.  HOOKED BAMBI BUCKET TO THE ROTORCRAFT AND DIPPED WATER FROM BEAVER LAKE TO DROP ON FIRE.  MADE 10-15 DROPS, WENT FOR ANOTHER RECON, NOTICED SEVERAL MINOR HOTSPOTS.  WAS COORDINATING WITH GROUND CREWS WHO WERE FIGHTING THE FIRES.  RETURNED TO DROP MORE WATER AND ON THE SECOND BUCKET FILL LOST ORIENTATION, ROTOR CONTACTED THE WATER SURFACE ON THE RIGHT SIDE, AIRCRAFT FLIPPED AND SANK.  PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND SWAM TO SHORE, HIKED TO HIS HOME AND CALLED 911 TO REPORT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB GAA15LA217](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA15LA217), Aug 5, 2015: MD Helicopter 369E (N43792), Whitefish, MT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain altitude and a level attitude while hovering over water at night during an external load operation, which resulted in the helicopter’s main rotor contacting the…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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