# NTSB ERA24LA242: Hughes 269A, N8045H, Danbury, NH, June 1, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: June 1, 2024, 12:48 local (16:48 UTC) - Place: Danbury, NH - Coordinates: 43.531656, -71.925235 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.5317&lon=-71.9252&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 194372 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA24LA242 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194372/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194372 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA242 ## Probable cause The pilot’s inadequate compensation for the prevailing wind conditions, which resulted in a loss of control during landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Wind: gusts](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034045): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Response/compensation (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,199 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034045/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The student pilot was working on adding a helicopter rating to his existing private pilot certificate and was on a solo flight to practice some landing approaches at a nearby airport. After completing the practice approaches and refueling the helicopter, the pilot flew back to his property. The pilot reported that when he entered a hover to land, the helicopter started to turn to the right “very fast.” The pilot applied full force to the left anti-torque pedal, but the helicopter continued to turn to the right. The helicopter then impacted trees and terrain. A postimpact fire consumed most of the helicopter. The weather reported at an airport about 17 nautical miles from the accident site included wind at 7 knots, with gusts to 22 knots. The pilot’s solo endorsement limited him to flights in wind conditions less than 13 knots. Following the accident, the pilot reported that he did not believe that there had been a mechanical malfunction or failure that would have prevented normal operation of the helicopter and that a wind gust had “caught” him, which resulted in the loss of control. The wreckage was examined by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector at the accident site. While the examination was limited given the extent of the fire damage, the inspector did not observe any anomalies with the helicopter’s anti-torque system that would have precluded normal operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: N8045H (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: HUGHES 269A - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 86-0633 - Year built: 1966 - Airframe hours: 5916.6 - Engines: Lycoming HIO-360-B1A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, January 15, 2024 - Departed: LCI, Laconia, NH - Destination: Same as departure - Equipment: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review May 16, 2024; seat: right; flight hours: 190.6 total, 20.2 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 310° at 7 knots, gusting 22 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 34 °F - Altimeter: 30.09 inHg - Observed at: 1P1, 17 nm away - METAR: K1P1 011635Z AUTO 31007G22KT 290V020 10SM CLR 25/01 A3009 RMK AO2 T02530005 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20240601009079A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240601009079A), Jun 1, 2024: Hughes TH-55, Danbury, NH, Destroyed. On 06/01/2024 at approximately 1248 local a TH55 helicopter departed klci airport enroute to a local residence in Danbury NH on a solo training flight. The… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194372. 77.0 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (combined from pilot's 2 submissions) (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 625 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17447166&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20Combined%20File_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record - pilot interview (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 67 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17448264&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MOR%20-%20Pilot%20Interview-Rel.pdf - Pilot logbook excerpts (item 3, PDF, 4 pages, 64.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17448447&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20Logbook%20Excerpts_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Maintenance logbook excerpts (item 4, PDF, 6 pages, 8.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17447246&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Maintenance%20Logbook%20Excerpts_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Investigation photographs (item 5, PDF, 8 pages, 3.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17447627&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigation%20Photographs-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record - wreckage examination (item 6, PDF, 1 page, 60 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17448354&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MOR%20-%20Wreckage%20Examination-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.