- Date
- May 26, 2002, 21:30 UTC
- Place
- Agana
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N500LAHughes 369C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20020526023569A
- Case key
- 54782
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
sabotage to the helicopter's fuel system, which resulted in a loss of engine power and a forced 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 helicopter experienced a loss of engine power immediately after takeoff and landed hard. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector found chicken eggs in the helicopter's fuel tanks. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the accident, and listed it as a criminal case.
Factual narrative
On May 26, 2002, about 1430 Guam standard time, a Hughes 369C, N500LA, landed hard after a loss of engine power immediately after takeoff near Agana International Airport, Agana, Guam. Americopters, Inc., was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot received minor injuries and the three passengers were not injured; the helicopter sustained substantial damage. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan had been filed for the local area business flight.
During a telephone interview with the National Transportation Safety Board, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent assigned to the case stated that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had found chicken eggs in the fuel tanks of the helicopter during a post accident examination. He determined that the accident was the result of sabotage, and therefore a criminal case.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N500LA
- Reported as
- Hughes 369C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 4405935
- Airframe hours
- 3,713.7
- Engine
- Allison C20B, 425 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Americopters, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2001 · 3,707.7 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Agana
- Destination
- NONE · Agana
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- PGUM · Guam International Airport
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
- 56
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- December 19, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,894 total · 4,800 in this make and model · 5,556 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- PGUM, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 16, 2004, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 366 KB 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.