- Date
- August 8, 1982, 18:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Wrightsville Bc, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4265PHughes 369HS
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 8, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820808035029A
- Case key
- 73098
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he initiated a downwind takeoff in a 10 kt wind and started a climb over water. Reportedly, the helicopter began to spin to the right as it reached an altitude of about 50 ft AGL and 20 KTS. The pilot allowed the helicopter to rotate until he reached a landfall, some 200 to 500 ft away. Then he made an autorotative landing into a marshy area. While landing, the helicopter settled on its right side and was substantially damaged. A witness stated that the takeoff appeared normal until the helicopter began to spin. An examination of the tail rotor drive shaft, transmission, main rotor, tail rotor controls and tail rotor gear box failed to reveal any preimpact malfunction. According to performance charts, the helicopter should have been controllable for either takeoff or hover in the prevailing conditions. The air temperature was reported to be 95 deg.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4265P
- Reported as
- Hughes 369HS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1190216S
- Airframe hours
- 3,493
- Engine
- Allison 250-C18A, 278 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- F.C. Price, III
- Registered owner
- F.C. Price, III
- Departed
- Wrightsville Bc, NC
- Destination
- Wrightsville Bc, NC
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 2,600 total · 265 in this make and model · 24 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 203 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.