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20151030023399A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Hughes 369D · Marion, SC · October 30, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 30, 2015 · 13:30 local
Place
Marion, SC
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator
1RTL
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N920JP
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA16LA030
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
200 total85 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N920JPRegistered now · Hughes Helicopters HUGHES 369DS/N 290449DAirframe modelHughes Helicopters HUGHES 369DEngine 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.

*** Note: NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data

Provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report. ***

On October 30, 2015, about 1158 eastern daylight time, a Hughes 369D, N920JP, collided with terrain

Following a loss of helicopter control while transitioning to cruise flight near Marion, south

Carolina. The commercial pilot was not injured, and the helicopter was substantially damaged by impact

Forces and a small post-crash fire. The helicopter was operated by rotor blade LLC under the

Provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 133 as an external load (aerial saw) flight.

Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight

Originated from a landing zone (lz) near Marion, south carolina about 1130.

According to reports provided by the operator, the pilot was trimming trees on a power line right-ofway

When the saw blades jammed. He climbed out of the area and elected to return to the lz to have the

Saw blades cleared. As the pilot began a forward transition directly to the lz, the helicopter yawed

To the right. He initially corrected the situation with left pedal inputs. While maintaining a heading

Into the wind, a "thump" was felt and a "pop" sound was heard, and the helicopter began to spin to the

Right, out of control. The engine continued to run throughout the event. The helicopter settled into

The trees as the pilot attempted to cushion the landing with collective control inputs. The helicopter

Collided with the ground and came to rest; a small post-crash fire resulted and the pilot extinguished

It with a fire bottle.

An inspector with the FAA responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. The helicopter

Came to rest in a wooded area. The main rotor blades received structural damage from impacted forces.

The fuselage received structural damage and the tail boom was severed.

The wreckage was retained for further examination.

Updated on nov 12 2015 4:49PM

As the FAA filed it

*** NOTE: NTSB INVESTIGATORS MAY NOT HAVE TRAVELED IN SUPPORT OF THIS INVESTIGATION AND USED DATA

PROVIDED BY VARIOUS SOURCES TO PREPARE THIS AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT. ***

ON OCTOBER 30, 2015, ABOUT 1158 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HUGHES 369D, N920JP, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN

FOLLOWING A LOSS OF HELICOPTER CONTROL WHILE TRANSITIONING TO CRUISE FLIGHT NEAR MARION, SOUTH

CAROLINA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED, AND THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED BY IMPACT

FORCES AND A SMALL POST-CRASH FIRE. THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATED BY ROTOR BLADE LLC UNDER THE

PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 133 AS AN EXTERNAL LOAD (AERIAL SAW) FLIGHT.

DAY, VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT

ORIGINATED FROM A LANDING ZONE (LZ) NEAR MARION, SOUTH CAROLINA ABOUT 1130.

ACCORDING TO REPORTS PROVIDED BY THE OPERATOR, THE PILOT WAS TRIMMING TREES ON A POWER LINE RIGHT-OFWAY

WHEN THE SAW BLADES JAMMED. HE CLIMBED OUT OF THE AREA AND ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE LZ TO HAVE THE

SAW BLADES CLEARED. AS THE PILOT BEGAN A FORWARD TRANSITION DIRECTLY TO THE LZ, THE HELICOPTER YAWED

TO THE RIGHT. HE INITIALLY CORRECTED THE SITUATION WITH LEFT PEDAL INPUTS. WHILE MAINTAINING A HEADING

INTO THE WIND, A "THUMP" WAS FELT AND A "POP" SOUND WAS HEARD, AND THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SPIN TO THE

RIGHT, OUT OF CONTROL. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN THROUGHOUT THE EVENT. THE HELICOPTER SETTLED INTO

THE TREES AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CUSHION THE LANDING WITH COLLECTIVE CONTROL INPUTS. THE HELICOPTER

COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND AND CAME TO REST; A SMALL POST-CRASH FIRE RESULTED AND THE PILOT EXTINGUISHED

IT WITH A FIRE BOTTLE.

AN INSPECTOR WITH THE FAA RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE AND EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE. THE HELICOPTER

CAME TO REST IN A WOODED AREA. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES RECEIVED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE FROM IMPACTED FORCES.

THE FUSELAGE RECEIVED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEVERED.

THE WRECKAGE WAS RETAINED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.

UPDATED ON NOV 12 2015 4:49PM

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 ERA16LA030Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMarion, SCA momentary jam in the tail rotor control system from an undetermined source, resulting in a torsional fracture of the tail rotor control torque tube and a loss of helicopter control.Oct 30, 2015 · Substantial damage