- Date
- October 13, 1989, 09:54 local (16:54 UTC)
- Place
- Bothell, WA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8613FHughes 369D
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891013040249A
- Case key
- 41091
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot failed to determine weather conditions before the flight, his attempt to fly VFR in IMC, and his failure to maintain obstacle clearance altitude. Factors in the accident were the low ceiling, rain and fog weather conditions.
Analysis
The pilot took off from his home on a VFR flight to snohomish, WA., 7 miles north. He did not obtain a wx briefing or file a flight plan. The acft was observed maneuvering at a low alt before impact one mile north of the pilot's house, in rain, fog, & low ceiling wx conditions. The acft was flying in and out of low clouds that extended down to tree top level. The acft impacted trees and power lines.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8613F
- Reported as
- Hughes 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 670127D
- Airframe hours
- 3,255
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Raymond D. Tenney
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 21, 1989 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- Bothell, WA
- Destination
- S43 · Snohomish, WA
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 209 total · 140 in this make and model · 146 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PAE, 7 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.
Other investigations on N8613F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.