- Date
- June 16, 1986, 06:44 local (10:44 UTC)
- Place
- Jacksonville, FL
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9045FHughes 369HE
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19860616081199A
- Case key
- 31718
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.
Analysis
A LCL tv stn had hired the oper to provide a helicopter for use in broadcasting an airborne traffic show. The plt took off with a rprtr & a camera man aboard. Drg a live traffic rprt, the acft was hdg eastbound at slow speed ovr a downtownarea at aprx 400 ft AGL. While it was at or nr a hover, witnesses heard a noise. The acft then entered a rapid spin to the rgt & bgn an unctld dscnt. Subsequently, it struck a tree & a utility pole, then impacted the gnd. After bystanders removed the occupants fm the wreckage, a fire erupted. The eng throttle grip was fnd in the full open (pwr on) psn. An inv showed the aft tail rotor drive shaft flexible (flex) coupling, pn 369H5501, had failed fm fatigue. AD 81-17-02 reqdthat all 369D'S with main rotor brakes (mrb's) be inspd at 100 hr intervals until the fwd flex couplings were replaced with fail safe couplings (pn 369H92564), but the original fwd & aft flex couplings were identical. Also, other models ofthe 369 had nrly identical mrb's, but the AD did not apply to these. N9045F, a Hughes 369HE, had no mrb.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9045F
- Reported as
- Hughes 369HE
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1090211E
- Airframe hours
- 4,343
- Engine
- Allison 250-C18B, 250 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Helicopter Serv. Of Jacksonvil
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 21, 1985 · 41 hours before
- Departed
- IRG · Jacksonville, FL
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
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 13,800 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CRG, 9 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.