What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 27, 2018 a Hughes 369D with the registration number N369TH crashed while performing animal tagging using the net gun method (mule deer) for the state of Washington state department of fish and wildlife. The aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances at approximate 1534. There was one fatality and two seriously injured.
High winds were reported and VMC conditions prevailed during the time of the accident.
The pilot was flying from the left seat and he was seriously injured. He is unable to provide a statement due to the severity of his injuries.
The fatality was siting the left front seat. He was not wearing a seat belt however, he was secured to the helicopter via a tether and harness.
The second passenger was sitting on the floor in the left rear position. . He was not wearing a seat belt however, he was secured to the helicopter via a tether and harness. This person was able to provide a statement but he was unable to provide any information to help determine the cause of the accident.
All persons onboard were wearing helmets. The helicopter only had the right rear door installed.
The main wreckage was well confined and was observed at the base of a hill on its right side in a draw or small valley. The nose of the helicopter was pointing up the draw. The tail rotor assembly was found up the draw from the main wreckage, on the hillside to the left when facing up the draw. The vertical and horizontal stabilizer assembly was located up the draw from the main wreckage. A portion of one main rotor blade was found on the hillside to the left of the main wreckage and a portion of another main rotor blade was found down the draw from the main wreckage, on the hillside to the left when facing up the draw. Two nets with small weights on the corners were located further up the draw from the tail rotor assembly and vertical and horizontal stabilizer assembly. They were on the hillside to the left when facing up the draw, and were separated by several feet.
During the on seen portion of the investigation, it was noted that tail rotor gearbox had separated from the tail boom. There was no evidence of a ground strike on the tail rotor blades however, there was indication of an impact approximately 3 inches from the tip of one of the blades and the other blade showed no damage. A portion of the blade was missing and a portion of it was later recovered some distance from the main helicopter wreckage. The tail rotor anti tilt stop showed evidence of a severe out of balance causing the tail rotor gearbox and blades to separate from the tail boom.
A portion of the blade and a net pin was sent to the NTSB for analysis.
An examination of the wreckage was performed at the accident site and off site once, the helicopter was recovered. No mechanical anomalies were noted at that time.
Three portable electronic devices were recovered and sent to the NTSB for analysis. Garmin 496 GPS, garmin etrex GPS and an iphone.
The pilot will be interviewed once physically able.
This report may be amended at a future date.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 27, 2018 A HUGHES 369D WITH THE REGISTRATION NUMBER N369TH CRASHED WHILE PERFORMING ANIMAL TAGGING USING THE NET GUN METHOD (MULE DEER) FOR THE STATE OF WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES AT APPROXIMATE 1534. THERE WAS ONE FATALITY AND TWO SERIOUSLY INJURED.
HIGH WINDS WERE REPORTED AND VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
THE PILOT WAS FLYING FROM THE LEFT SEAT AND HE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. HE IS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A STATEMENT DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF HIS INJURIES.
THE FATALITY WAS SITING THE LEFT FRONT SEAT. HE WAS NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT HOWEVER, HE WAS SECURED TO THE HELICOPTER VIA A TETHER AND HARNESS.
THE SECOND PASSENGER WAS SITTING ON THE FLOOR IN THE LEFT REAR POSITION. . HE WAS NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT HOWEVER, HE WAS SECURED TO THE HELICOPTER VIA A TETHER AND HARNESS. THIS PERSON WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE A STATEMENT BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION TO HELP DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
ALL PERSONS ONBOARD WERE WEARING HELMETS. THE HELICOPTER ONLY HAD THE RIGHT REAR DOOR INSTALLED.
THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS WELL CONFINED AND WAS OBSERVED AT THE BASE OF A HILL ON ITS RIGHT SIDE IN A DRAW OR SMALL VALLEY. THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER WAS POINTING UP THE DRAW. THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND UP THE DRAW FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE, ON THE HILLSIDE TO THE LEFT WHEN FACING UP THE DRAW. THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER ASSEMBLY WAS LOCATED UP THE DRAW FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. A PORTION OF ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE WAS FOUND ON THE HILLSIDE TO THE LEFT OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE AND A PORTION OF ANOTHER MAIN ROTOR BLADE WAS FOUND DOWN THE DRAW FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE, ON THE HILLSIDE TO THE LEFT WHEN FACING UP THE DRAW. TWO NETS WITH SMALL WEIGHTS ON THE CORNERS WERE LOCATED FURTHER UP THE DRAW FROM THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY AND VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER ASSEMBLY. THEY WERE ON THE HILLSIDE TO THE LEFT WHEN FACING UP THE DRAW, AND WERE SEPARATED BY SEVERAL FEET.
DURING THE ON SEEN PORTION OF THE INVESTIGATION, IT WAS NOTED THAT TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TAIL BOOM. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A GROUND STRIKE ON THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES HOWEVER, THERE WAS INDICATION OF AN IMPACT APPROXIMATELY 3 INCHES FROM THE TIP OF ONE OF THE BLADES AND THE OTHER BLADE SHOWED NO DAMAGE. A PORTION OF THE BLADE WAS MISSING AND A PORTION OF IT WAS LATER RECOVERED SOME DISTANCE FROM THE MAIN HELICOPTER WRECKAGE. THE TAIL ROTOR ANTI TILT STOP SHOWED EVIDENCE OF A SEVERE OUT OF BALANCE CAUSING THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX AND BLADES TO SEPARATE FROM THE TAIL BOOM.
A PORTION OF THE BLADE AND A NET PIN WAS SENT TO THE NTSB FOR ANALYSIS.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE WAS PERFORMED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AND OFF SITE ONCE, THE HELICOPTER WAS RECOVERED. NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE NOTED AT THAT TIME.
THREE PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES WERE RECOVERED AND SENT TO THE NTSB FOR ANALYSIS. GARMIN 496 GPS, GARMIN ETREX GPS AND AN IPHONE.
THE PILOT WILL BE INTERVIEWED ONCE PHYSICALLY ABLE.
THIS REPORT MAY BE AMENDED AT A FUTURE DATE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.