- Date
- February 16, 1988, 08:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Waterfall, PA
- Injuries
- 3 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5093YHughes 369D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880216002609A
- Case key
- 36097
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
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot heard a loud 'boom' and experienced a loss of tail rotor control accompanied by an increase in N2 and RPM. A radio transmission was made to the aircraft that was trailing and then an approach for landing set up. On landing, the helicopter touched down hard but level and with the skids in line with the final approach path. The helicopter bounced several times before coming to rest on its right side, 45 feet from the second touchdown point. Investigation revealed that the tail rotor had separated from the acft in flt. The tail rotor was 3/4 mile from the acc site. 300 yards farther away was a flt bag from the helicopter with tail rotor paint on it. There were no doors on the helicopter because of its use in power line patrol.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5093Y
- Reported as
- Hughes 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 811045D
- Airframe hours
- 3,175
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 375 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Haverfield Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Haverfield Helicopter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 3, 1988 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- Hagerstown, MD
- Destination
- Altoona, PA
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
- 25
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,836 total · 296 in this make and model · 1,591 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 30 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.