- Date
- September 12, 1983, 10:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Woodruff, UT
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8667FHughes 369D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830912048629A
- Case key
- 16001
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 helicopter was being used to lift seismic materials on a 100 ft long line. After lifting the load to a hover at about 10 to 20 ft, the plt heard a loud 'bang' which was followed by a loss of directional control. The helicopter began uncontrolled spinning & crashed moments later. Witnesses reported that the tail rotor blades stopped rotating prior to the helicopter hiting the ground. An exam revealed that the aft tail rotor driveshaft flexible coupling, bendix pn; 369A5501, had failed. Due to damage of the fracture surface, the mode of failure could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8667F
- Reported as
- Hughes 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 280
- Airframe hours
- 3,551
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 133
- Operator
- Rocky Mountain Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Gatx Second Aircraft Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 24, 1983 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- Woodruff, UT
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 48
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,800 total · 200 in this make and model · 180 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8667F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.