20210325006839A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 369D · Lake City, KS · March 25, 2021

Date: March 25, 2021 · 13:30 local
Place: Lake City, KS
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: 4EGL
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N41AJ
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN21LA165
Reported as: Hughes 369D
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 22,704 total880 in this make and model

N41AJRegistered now · Hughes Helicopters HUGHES 369DS/N 480299D · Built 1978 Airframe modelHughes Helicopters HUGHES 369D Engine modelRolls-Royce 250-C20Turbo-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.

The pilot of the helicopter was flying a strapped in lineman attaching bird diverters to opgw wire (fiber optic cable) with 6-9 knot winds with VMC conditions.

A gust of wind caused the helicopter to drift into the wire making contact with the main rotor blades. The helicopter remained stable allowing a controlled decent and landing. No injuries. There was no other observable damage to the helicopter.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT OF THE HELICOPTER WAS FLYING A STRAPPED IN LINEMAN ATTACHING BIRD DIVERTERS TO OPGW WIRE (FIBER OPTIC CABLE) WITH 6-9 KNOT WINDS WITH VMC CONDITIONS.

A GUST OF WIND CAUSED THE HELICOPTER TO DRIFT INTO THE WIRE MAKING CONTACT WITH THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE HELICOPTER REMAINED STABLE ALLOWING A CONTROLLED DECENT AND LANDING. NO INJURIES. THERE WAS NO OTHER OBSERVABLE DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER.

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 CEN21LA165Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportLake City, KSThe pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines during power line maintenance.Mar 25, 2021 · Substantial damage