- Date
- April 1, 1991, 17:00 local (Apr 2, 1991, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Papua, Papua New Guinea
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9227FHughes 369C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 27171
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 loss of control of the helicopter due to a restriction of the cyclic control system.
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 certificated commercial pilot, with one passenger, was on a flight between two tuna fishing vessels in international waters. As the pilot began a climb from about 100 feet above the water, he discovered that the cyclic control was binding in its longitudinal axis. The helicopter continued to climb until it reached a near vertical attitude. The pilot applied rudder pedal to swing the nose down. The helicopter then descended rapidly to the surface of the ocean where a float attached to the landing gear skid contacted the water. The floats were torn off and the helicopter cartwheeled and sank. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries. The helicopter was not recovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9227F
- Reported as
- Hughes 369C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1140665S
- Airframe hours
- 8,756
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Sardina & Cileu Mgt. Inc., doing business as Carolyn M Partnership
- Registered owner
- Carolyn M Partnership
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 24, 1991 · 30 hours before
- Flight plan
- Company 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
- 44
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 3,500 in this make and model · 8,000 as pilot in command · 125 in the last 90 days · 110 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point -0 °F