20200603007769I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Hughes 369D · Holton, KS · June 3, 2020

Date
June 3, 2020 · 11:00 local
Place
Holton, KS
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator
IZWL
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N138WH
Reported as
Hughes 369D
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
4,363 total

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.

On June 03, 2020, at approximately 11:00 am local time, a Hughes model 369D, serial number 911027D, N138WH experienced damage to a main and tail rotor blade. When a flexible wire framed window sun shade was sucked into the rotor wash from the cab of the fueling truck. The pilot immediately landed the aircraft and shut it down. The incident happened at a remote location approximately 5 miles north of Holton Kansas. Refer to GPS coordinates for exact location lat 39 31 54 long 95 43 41. No further damage or injury to the pilot were reported.

As the FAA filed it

ON JUNE 03, 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 AM LOCAL TIME, A HUGHES MODEL 369D, SERIAL NUMBER 911027D, N138WH EXPERIENCED DAMAGE TO A MAIN AND TAIL ROTOR BLADE. WHEN A FLEXIBLE WIRE FRAMED WINDOW SUN SHADE WAS SUCKED INTO THE ROTOR WASH FROM THE CAB OF THE FUELING TRUCK. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY LANDED THE AIRCRAFT AND SHUT IT DOWN. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AT A REMOTE LOCATION APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES NORTH OF HOLTON KANSAS. REFER TO GPS COORDINATES FOR EXACT LOCATION LAT 39 31 54 LONG 95 43 41. NO FURTHER DAMAGE OR INJURY TO THE PILOT WERE REPORTED.