CHI97LA008

On the return flight to Newton Airport, the pilot decided to divert and land on his farm. While starting to land at his farm at dusk, his landing light was inoperative and the pilot decided to abort his landing. When the pilot added power, he heard a noise from either the transmission or the rotors and decided to make a precautionary landing in the golf course next to his farm that he knew well. During the roll on landing, the helicopter struck a dirt bank which damaged the right skid. The helicopter was put into a hover and then settled on to the golf course. The helicopter rolled to the right after landing.

On October 14, 1996, at 1950 central daylight time (cdt), a Hughes 369-E, registered to Executive Aircraft Corporation of Newton, Kansas, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during landing on a private field in Hesston, Kansas. The commercial pilot reported no injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight departed Wichita Mid- Continent Airport, Wichita, Kansas at 1930 cdt.

According to the pilot's written statement, he was running late that evening and decided to land at his farm instead of landing at Newton Airport. On final approach to his farm, the pilot said he encountered some swirling winds. He decided to abort the landing because it was dusk and proceed to Newton Airport as planned. While adding power, he heard the transmission or the rotor blades making an unusual noise. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing in the golf course next to the farm that the pilot knew well. During the slide on landing, the helicopter impacted an object that put the helicopter into a hover. As the settled back to the ground, the helicopter rolled to the right and the pilot was unable to stop it. The pilot stated, "...there was a mound of dirt I [pilot] didn't see that damaged the RH [right] skid thus causing the roll over to the right on set down."

A Federal Aviation Administration Principal Operations Inspector (POI) represented the NTSB during the on-scene investigation. The POI's visual examination of the helicopter revealed a damaged right skid with dirt on it and an inoperative landing light. There was an irrigation ditch being dug between the farm and the golf course with a ground scar in the direction of the flight path. The POI stated that the pilot told him that the landing light wouldn't working on final approach to land on his farm and decided to abort the landing.