- Date
- July 9, 1990, 09:55 local (16:55 UTC)
- Place
- Modesto, CA
- Injuries
- 4 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N505WWMcDonnell Douglas 369HS
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900709024899A
- Case key
- 26643
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
In-flight engine fire of undetermined origin.
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 and his passengers detected the odor of smoke as the helicopter circled while in cruise flight. The pilot entered a precautionary approach and landed in a vacant pasture. The aircraft landed hard and the in-flight fire consumed the aircraft's cabin/engine section. Ground witnesses confirmed that an in-flight fire erupted prior to the aircraft landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N505WW
- Reported as
- McDonnell Douglas 369HS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 150698S
- Engine
- Allison 250-C18, 278 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- David L. Heath, doing business as Sunrise Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SCK · Stockton, CA
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,397 total · 25 in this make and model · 2,122 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- MOD, 6 nm away
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 N505WW · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.