- Date
- June 1, 1990, 18:15 local (Jun 2, 1990, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Las Cruces, NM
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N436DSHughes 369HS
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900601019829A
- Case key
- 17938
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A loss of power for an unknown cause. A factor in the accident was the unsuitable terrain.
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
At approximately 50 feet altitude, following pickup of a passenger from a remote mountain site, the engine lost power. The pilot conducted an autorotative landing onto the side of the mountain. On landing, the helicopter rolled down the side of the mountain and came to rest facing up slope. The pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries and were medicaced to medical facilities. The helicopter was substantially damaged, and there was no fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N436DS
- Reported as
- Hughes 369HS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6304879
- Airframe hours
- 3,743
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Charles Bella
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 30, 1990 · 37 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · El Paso, TX
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
- 45
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 9,900 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 9,357 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.