- Date
- March 7, 1986, 14:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- New Boston, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N58420Hughes 369D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860307005849A
- Case key
- 21997
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 pilot experienced a tail rotor drive shaft flexible coupling failure when he pulled collective pitch to come to a hover before landing. The helicopter entered an uncontrollable right spin. During his haste to get the helicopter on the ground the pilot made a hard touchdown. The spinning helicopter then rolled onto its right side before coming to a stop.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N58420
- Reported as
- Hughes 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 880337D
- Airframe hours
- 2,287
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 lbs thrust, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Metro Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 19, 1985 · 92 hours before
- Departed
- Mansfield, TX
- Flight plan
- 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
- 28
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 536 total · 21 in this make and model · 191 as pilot in command · 44 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 165° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.