- Date
- January 22, 2026, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- North Augusta, SC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N105ACHughes 369
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Engine shutdown
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class
- Class 3
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- MD Helicopters, Rolls Royce, FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260122000529A
- Case key
- 202340
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Preliminary report
What NTSB knew early in the investigation. It may change in the final report.
On January 22, 2026, at 1600 eastern standard time, a Hughes 369D, N105AC, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near North Augusta, South Carolina. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 133 external load flight. The pilot reported that about 45 minutes into conducting tree trimming operations an engine chips caution light illuminated. The pilot was attempting to return to the landing zone when the engine torque and temperature began to fluctuate, and the helicopter subsequently experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot jettisoned the external load and conducted an autorotation to the ground which resulted in substantial damage to the helicopter. The helicopter was retained for further examination.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N105AC
- Reported as
- Hughes 369 (D)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 580316D
- Built
- 1978
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External load · Part 133
- Operator
- Agricultural Air Services LLC
- Registered owner
- Agricultural Air Services LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- Unknown
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.
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- DNL, 11 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KDNL 222053Z AUTO 34005KT 10SM BKN055 OVC075 14/07 A3018 RMK AO2 SLP219 T01390072 56015
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.