- Date
- September 8, 1989, 18:30 local (Sep 9, 1989, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Petersburg, AK
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1088NHughes 369D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890908034079A
- Case key
- 41078
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 failed to obtain clearance over trees. Contributing to the accident was: the aircraft being above its maximum certificated gross weight limitation and the trees.
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
After picking up passengers with equipment, the pilot attempted twice to lift off, but was unsuccessful. On the third attempt, the helicopter attained an altitude of aprx 20 ft; however, it did not clear a line of trees located 50 ft from the lift-off point and 30 feet in height. After the accident, the passengers and equipment were weighed. The helicopter was found to have been operating 200 pounds over its max gross weight limitation. There were no reported mechanical failures or malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1088N
- Reported as
- Hughes 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 300679D
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Temsco Helicopters Inc.
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- 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
- 50
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 7,700 total · 5,000 in this make and model · 7,300 as pilot in command · 257 in the last 90 days · 110 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.