20201027020999A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 369D · Honolulu, HI · October 27, 2020

Date: October 27, 2020 · 11:33 local
Place: Honolulu, HI
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: WVXL
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N58251
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC21LA003
Reported as: Hughes 369D
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 21,237 total

N58251Registered now · Hughes Helicopters HUGHES 369DS/N 880317D · Built 1978 Airframe modelHughes Helicopters HUGHES 369D Engine modelRolls-Royce 250-C20BTurbo-shaft

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.

During external load operation to relocate equipment, engine lost power. Pilot jettisoned load and line but was not able to maintain flight. Aircraft descended into dense trees and crashed on side of ridge. Pilot had to pull fuel shut off and rotate throttle to shut down engine after aircraft came to rest.

Performed aircraft inspection and teardown with representatives from Mcdonnell Douglas and rolls royce. Discovered the circlip and pin missing from the flapper seal on the bottom of the start pump mounted in the bottom of the fuel tank. This aperture is the main inlet to the fuel line running from the tank to the engine driven pump. The rubber flapper seal was partially obscuring the orifice in to the fuel line and was mobile. Found the center pin for the seal in the fuel line in the 90 degree elbow leading into the engine driven pump. The circlip was not recovered.

No other discrepancies were discovered during the inspection other than the damage incurred during the crash.

As the FAA filed it

DURING EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATION TO RELOCATE EQUIPMENT, ENGINE LOST POWER. PILOT JETTISONED LOAD AND LINE BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN FLIGHT. AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO DENSE TREES AND CRASHED ON SIDE OF RIDGE. PILOT HAD TO PULL FUEL SHUT OFF AND ROTATE THROTTLE TO SHUT DOWN ENGINE AFTER AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST.

PERFORMED AIRCRAFT INSPECTION AND TEARDOWN WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM MCDONNELL DOUGLAS AND ROLLS ROYCE. DISCOVERED THE CIRCLIP AND PIN MISSING FROM THE FLAPPER SEAL ON THE BOTTOM OF THE START PUMP MOUNTED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL TANK. THIS APERTURE IS THE MAIN INLET TO THE FUEL LINE RUNNING FROM THE TANK TO THE ENGINE DRIVEN PUMP. THE RUBBER FLAPPER SEAL WAS PARTIALLY OBSCURING THE ORIFICE IN TO THE FUEL LINE AND WAS MOBILE. FOUND THE CENTER PIN FOR THE SEAL IN THE FUEL LINE IN THE 90 DEGREE ELBOW LEADING INTO THE ENGINE DRIVEN PUMP. THE CIRCLIP WAS NOT RECOVERED.

NO OTHER DISCREPANCIES WERE DISCOVERED DURING THE INSPECTION OTHER THAN THE DAMAGE INCURRED DURING THE CRASH.

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 ANC21LA003Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportHonolulu, HIA partial loss of engine power due to an obstructed fuel line as a result of the separation of the circlip from the pin used on the fuel start pump. The reason for the circlip separation could not be determined based on the available evidence.Oct 27, 2020 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N58251 · 1

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

Incident 20080911845689IHovering · Hana, HI(-23) While placing an external load on the ground the pilot heard a loud bang with subsequent loss of engine power. Pilot performed a hovering autoration from approximately 55 feet. The main rotor blades were damaged when the contacted a tree on landing. The…Sep 11, 2008 · Minor damage