20160729012449A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 269A · Morris, MN · July 29, 2016

Date: July 29, 2016 · 09:00 local
Place: Morris, MN
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N269JB
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN16LA303
Reported as: Hughes 269A
Reported engine: Lycoming HIO-360 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,200 total62 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

N269JBRegistration cancelled Sep 6, 2019 · Hughes 269AS/N 105-0395 Airframe modelHughes 269A Engine modelLycoming HIO-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

Pilot was doing agriculture spraying and was on his fourth load. While enroute to the field, pilot referenced his navigation system. While his attention was diverted, he started to impact the crop. He reacted by adding aft cyclic which resulted in the tail rotor also impacting the crops. The aircraft was unable to recover and impacted the ground. The aircraft rolled on its side and pilot was able to depart the aircraft with no injuries.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS DOING AGRICULTURE SPRAYING AND WAS ON HIS FOURTH LOAD. WHILE ENROUTE TO THE FIELD, PILOT REFERENCED HIS NAVIGATION SYSTEM. WHILE HIS ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED, HE STARTED TO IMPACT THE CROP. HE REACTED BY ADDING AFT CYCLIC WHICH RESULTED IN THE TAIL ROTOR ALSO IMPACTING THE CROPS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED ON ITS SIDE AND PILOT WAS ABLE TO DEPART THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES.

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 CEN16LA303Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMorris, MNThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain due to his distraction by the navigation system.Jul 29, 2016 · Substantial damage