# Incident 20250925015439I: Mcdonnell Douglas Heli Co 369FF, Thermal, CA, September 25, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 25, 2025, 13:00 local time
- Place: Thermal, CA
- Airport: Jacqueline Cochran
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Operator: M55L
- Location: 33.6267° N, 116.1597° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at JACQUELINE COCHRAN RGNL (TRM), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6267&lon=-116.1597&mi=10
- Aircraft: N531RG, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N531RG) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mcdonnell Douglas Heli 369FF (registry code 3027371, https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-heli-369ff) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C30 series (registry code 03015, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c30-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELI CO 369FF
- Reported engine: ALLISON 250-C30 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,548 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250925015439I

## Narrative

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

AFTER COMPLETION OF SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, GROUND RUNS, TEST FLIGHTS AND RETURN TO SERVICE. PIC DEPARTED ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO LOVELAND, COLORADO. DURING APPROACH AT FIRST SCHEDULED FUEL STOP HELICOPTER BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE, PIC MANAGED TO LAND SAFETY. UPON INSPECTION AFTER INCIDENT, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE COTTER PINS WHERE NOT INSTALLED ON THE RIGHT-HAND STATIONARY SWASH PLATE MIXER LINK RESULTING ON THE LOWER BOLT, NUT AND WASHER COMING OFF AND UPPER BOLT PARTIALLY COMING OFF.

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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