# Accident 20200922016829A: Md Helicopters Inc 369HS, Needles, CA, September 22, 2020

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 22, 2020, 13:24 local time
- Place: Needles, CA
- Airport: Chemehuevi Valley
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.5289° N, 114.4320° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.5289&lon=-114.4320&mi=10
- Aircraft: N509CG, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N509CG) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: MD Helicopters 369HS (registry code 3030012, https://openairdocs.org/model/md-helicopters-369hs) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C20 (registry code 03080, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MD HELICOPTERS INC 369HS
- Reported engine: ALLISON 250-C20
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 5,500 total, 4 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR20LA323](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA323) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200922016829A

## Narrative

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

ON 09/23/2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 HOURS, N509CG, AN MD HELICOPTERS 369HS HELICOPTER, DEPARTED THE LAKE HAVASU AIRPORT FOR A FAMILIARIZATION FLIGHT IN THE LOCAL AREA.  THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT WAS TRYING TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO STARTING FORMAL TRAINING FOR A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATE.

THE PILOT FLEW TO THE CHEMEHUEVI VALLEY AIRPORT, NEAR NEEDLES, CALIFORNIA, TO PRACTICE PATTERN WORK AND APPROACHES.

AS THE PILOT APPROACHED A DESERT AREA AT THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 16, THE PILOT APPLIED POWER AS HE GOT CLOSE TO THE GROUND AND WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT FROM SPINNING TO THE RIGHT.

THE PILOT APPLIED FULL LEFT PEDAL AND THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SPIN.

THE PILOT REDUCED THE THROTTLE TO GROUND IDLE AND THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED FROM APPROXIMATELY THREE FEET AND ROLLED ONTO THE LEFT SIDE AS IT MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND.

THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE UPON MAKING CONTACT WITH THE GROUND.

THE PILOT AND ONE LONE PASSENGER SELF EXTRICATED WITH MINOR SCRAPES AND CONTUSIONS.

THE PILOT STATED THAT ALL AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS WERE OPERATIONAL AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH AND ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE FULLY FUNCTIONAL.

DUE TO THE REMOTE LOCATION OF THE CRASH SITE, THERE WAS A DELAY IN FAA INSPECTORS TRAVELING TO THE CRASH SITE.

THE SCENE WAS INITIALLY INVESTIGATED AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY DEPUTIES FROM THE SAN BERNADINO COUNTY SHERIFF?S OFFICE.

UPON FAA ARRIVAL, THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN REMOVED TO A STORAGE LOCATION IN LAKE HAVASU, ARIZONA.

FAA ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE INTENDED LANDING SITE WAS SLIGHTLY SLOPED AND WELL WITHIN NORMAL OPERATING LIMITS OF THE HELICOPTER.

AN ANALYSIS OF THE ON SCENE INVESTIGATION PHOTOGRAPHS AND THE SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE PILOTS STATEMENT AND IT APPEARED THAT THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS PRODUCING SOME LEVEL OF POWER AS THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND.

CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED AND ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE HELICOPTER APPEARED TO BE LOCATED AT THE CRASH SITE.

AIRCRAFT WEIGHT AND LOADING DID NOT APPPEAR TO BE A FACTOR IN THE CRASH.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR20LA323](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA323), Sep 22, 2020: MD Helicopter 369 (N509CG), Chemehuevi Valley, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain helicopter control during an approach with a gusting variable wind, which resulted in an impact with terrain.

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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