# Accident 20180220023069A: Hughes HU-369, Int'L Waters, February 20, 2018

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 20, 2018, 10:55 local time
- Place: Int'L Waters
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft: N501VS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N501VS) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hughes Helicopters HUGHES 369D (registry code 4470706, https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-helicopters-hughes-369d) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C20B (registry code 03081, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HUGHES HU-369
- Reported engine: ALLISON 250-C20B
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Unknown or foreign certificate
- Pilot flight hours: 1,000 total, 800 in this make and model, 120 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180220023069A

## Narrative

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

PILOT STATED THAT WHILE PERFORMING TUNA SPOTTING AT 500', HEARD A LOUD NOISE IN THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM FOLLOWED BY LATERAL SHAKING OF CYCLIC.  PILOT TURNED BACK TOWARD THE BOAT APPROXIMATELY 22 MILES AWAY.  PILOT HEARD ANOTHER LOUD NOISE FROM THE ROTOR FOLLOWED BY MORE SHAKING OF THE CYCLIC.  PILOT DROPPED DOWN TO 30 FEET AND SLOWED TO 20-30 KNOTS AND ATTEMPTED TO DEPLOY FLOATS.  FLOATS DID NOT DEPLOY.  PILOT HEARD ANOTHER LOUD NOISE FOLLOWED BY THE CYCLIC SNATCHING TO THE RIGHT VERY HARD AT WHICH POINT THE HELICOPTER UNCONTROLLABLY ROLLED TO THE RIGHT AND HIT THE WATER IN A 90 DEGREE ROLL.  THE HELICOPTER IMMEDIATELY FLIPPED INVERTED, AT WHICH POINT THE PILOT AND OBSERVER WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE HELICOPTER TO WAIT FOR PICKUP BY THE BOAT.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

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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