20190313001269A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hughes TH-55 · Keene, NH · March 13, 2019

Date: March 13, 2019 · 16:00 local
Place: Keene, NH
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N8045H
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA19CA168
Reported as: Hughes TH-55
Reported engine: Lycoming HIO-360-B1A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 550 total25 in this make and model44 in the last 90 days

N8045HRegistered now · Hughes TH-55S/N 65-18240 Airframe modelHughes TH-55

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 in cruise flight at 500 feet AGL (helicopter)had a bird strike about two miles north of the Keene (een) dillant-hopkins airport in NH. A 2' by 2' plexiglass panel from the upper right hand corner separated from the canopy and went up into the rotor blades. Pilot made an unevenful landing at een. Following day revealed dents as much as .060 inches deep in two of the three rotor blades.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 500 FEET AGL (HELICOPTER)HAD A BIRD STRIKE ABOUT TWO MILES NORTH OF THE KEENE (EEN) DILLANT-HOPKINS AIRPORT IN NH. A 2' BY 2' PLEXIGLASS PANEL FROM THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER SEPARATED FROM THE CANOPY AND WENT UP INTO THE ROTOR BLADES. PILOT MADE AN UNEVENFUL LANDING AT EEN. FOLLOWING DAY REVEALED DENTS AS MUCH AS .060 INCHES DEEP IN TWO OF THE THREE ROTOR BLADES.

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 GAA19CA168Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportKeene, NHThe helicopter’s collision with a bird during cruise flight.Mar 13, 2019 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8045H · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20240601009079ALanding: Approach · Danbury, NHOn 06/01/2024 at approximately 1248 local a TH55 helicopter departed klci airport enroute to a local residence in Danbury NH on a solo training flight. The pilot held a fixed wing single engine land rating and was appropriately endorsed to perform solo…Jun 1, 2024 · Destroyed Accident 19980511037189AAutorot Descent (Rotorcraft) · Alexandria Bay, NY(.4) The pilot was receiving instruction from a flight instructor for the purpose of practicing touchdown autorotations towards attaining his instructor certificate. The pilot said that during the autorotation, the helicopter touched down hard on the left…May 11, 1998 · Substantial damage