- Date
- August 1, 1983, 14:40 local (21:40 UTC)
- Place
- Tehachapi, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9142FHughes 369HS
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830801075869A
- Case key
- 23810
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.
Hard landing
Rotor rpm - not maintainedCause
On ground/water collision with object
Object - vehicleFactor
Analysis
The plt reported that during the landing approach, the rotor RPM decreased & the helicopter landed hard. After touchdown, the helicopter skidded into an unoccupied pickup truck. An exam of the helicopter did not reveal any preimpact discrepancies which would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9142F
- Reported as
- Hughes 369HS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 330460S
- Airframe hours
- 700
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 350 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Alfred Letcher
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 6, 1982
- Airport
- TSP · Tehachapi Municipal
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 6,150 total · 83 in this make and model · 6,040 as pilot in command · 78 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 80 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °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.