- Date
- April 29, 2018, 11:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Newark, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N175JLHughes 369
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180429022289I
- Case key
- 97165
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 adequate clearance from transmission power wires, which resulted in a tail rotor strike.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
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.
Analysis
The chief pilot reported that, while the pilot was working on transmission power wires, the pilot maneuvered the helicopter closer to the wires to give a better position for the other crewmember. He added that the pilot heard a noise and felt a vibration from the tail section. The pilot moved away from the wires, noticed no abnormality of flight, and returned to the landing zone without further incident. Postaccident examination revealed that the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor. The chief pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The Chief Pilot reported that, while working on transmission power wires, the pilot maneuvered the helicopter closer to the wires to give a better position for the other crew member. He added that the pilot heard a noise and felt a vibration from the tail section. The pilot moved away from the wires, noticed no abnormality of flight, and returned to the landing zone without further incident. Postaccident examination revealed that the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor. The Chief Pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N175JL
- Reported as
- Hughes 369 (D)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 270076D
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 10,969.9
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 133
- Operator
- Haverfield International Inc
- Registered owner
- Haverfield International Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 7, 2018
- Departed
- VTA · Newark, OH
- Destination
- Newark, OH
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- None
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 13, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 4,540 total · 3,760 in this make and model · 4,340 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 119 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- KVTA, 10 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 5, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.