- Date
- November 17, 2001, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Richmond, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9294FHughes 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20011117037809A
- Case key
- 53794
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
the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power line while landing.
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 private pilot, who was not helicopter rated, was attempting to land the helicopter near a friend's house when the main rotor blades contacted power lines. The helicopter landed hard and came to rest upright in a grass field. The tailboom was severed by the main rotor blades, the main rotor blades were bent and fractured, and the skids were spread up and outward, level with the bottom of the cabin section.
Factual narrative
On November 17, 2001, approximately 1730 central standard time, a Hughes 269C helicopter, N9294F, was substantially damaged when it impacted power lines while landing at a field near Richmond, Texas. The private pilot sustained serious injuries and the passenger was not injured. The helicopter was registered to and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The local flight departed Damon, Texas, approximately 1710.
The FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported that the private pilot, who was not helicopter rated, was attempting to land the helicopter near a friend's house when the main rotor blades contacted power lines. Subsequently, the helicopter landed hard and came to rest upright in a grass field. The tailboom was severed by the main rotor blades, the main rotor blades were bent and fractured, and the skids were spread up and outward, level with the bottom of the cabin section.
Due to injuries sustained during the accident, the pilot was unavailable for an interview and unable to provide a written statement of the event.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9294F
- Reported as
- Hughes 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 650421
- Airframe hours
- 1,708
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-D1A, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David W. Christopher
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 9, 2001
- Departed
- Damon, TX
- Destination
- Richmond, 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
- 46
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- May 18, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 50 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °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 N9294F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.