- Date
- January 24, 1998
- Place
- Pacific Ocean (Pacific Ocean)
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N521ZZHughes 369D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980124000609A
- Case key
- 30026
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 adequately compensate for the wind condition and failure to maintain a proper rate of descent which resulted in the inadvertent loss of tail rotor effectiveness during a downwind turn.
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 observer took off from the ship on an aerial observation flight to herd fish. The pilot climbed to about 400 feet, spotted fish, turned downwind, and descended into the prevailing 15-knot tailwind. Neither the descent nor the turn was arrested. The helicopter changed its heading 180 degrees, and the descent continued until the helicopter impacted the water. The helicopter sank and was not recovered. The operator reported that before the pilot died he stated that no engine problems had been experienced. The pilot indicated that he had erred in controlling the helicopter.
Factual narrative
On January 24, 1998, at 1300 hours Saipan standard time, a Hughes 369D, N521ZZ, operated by Big Eye Helicopters, Inc., Guam, crashed into international South Pacific Ocean waters approximately 300 miles east-northeast of the Solomon Islands. The helicopter sank in deep water, and no recovery attempt is anticipated. The commercial pilot succumbed to impact-related injuries, and the second crewmember was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the aerial observation flight. The flight originated from the vessel Fairwell 707 at 1259.
According to the operator's manager, the pilot and observer took off in the helicopter without mishap and climbed to about 400 feet. The helicopter crew spotted fish near the bow of the vessel, and the pilot descended to commence a "herd" operation. During the descent, the pilot made a downwind turn in the prevailing 15-knot wind. As the helicopter continued its descent, it changed its heading 180 degrees and appeared to experience a loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE). The descent was not arrested, and the helicopter impacted the water. One float broke off and the other was seriously damaged. Both crewmembers were rescued prior to the helicopter sinking to an estimated depth of 6,000 feet.
The operator's manager further reported that before the pilot died he stated that no engine problems had been experienced. The pilot indicated that he had erred in controlling the helicopter.
On January 28, 1998, the National Transportation Safety Board mailed the operator the required Aircraft Accident Report Form No. 6120.1/2 to complete. This written request was followed up with additional requests for information about the aircraft and accident. As of July 14, 1998, the operator has not responded.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N521ZZ
- Reported as
- Hughes 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 970190D
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 375 lbs thrust, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Big Eye Helicopter, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 817 total · 17 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 15 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.