N9089F Hughes 369HS accident

NTSB MIA92FA142 · 1992-06-26 · LABELLE, FL

Docket — crew, injuries and powerplant

Factual narrative

THE PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED ON A VFR FLIGHT IN VFR CONDITIONS. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER AT ABOUT 600 FEET AGL DESCENDING IN AN AUTOROTATION WITH A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT, FORWARD AIRSPEED, WITH THE NOSE PITCHED UP ABOUT 45 DEGREES BEFORE THE HELICOPTER DISAPPEARED BELOW THE TREE LINE. EXAMINATION OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH TREES IN A DESCENDING LEFT TURN PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE GROUND IN ABOUT A 45-DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL CONTAMINATION. THE DECEASED PILOT'S SON STATED THE FATHER WOULD ALLOW THE HELICOPTER TO SIT AT THE HOUSE WITHOUT A FULL TANK OF FUEL, AND THAT HIS FATHER WOULD NOT DRAIN THE FUEL SUMP AS A PART OF HIS PREFLIGHT INSPECTION.

Probable cause

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S IMPROPER APPLICATION OF COLLECTIVE PITCH DURING AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING RESULTING IN INSUFFICIENT ROTOR RPM AND IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TREES AND THE TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL CONTAMINATION AND INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION. The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident.

Circumstances

Event type

Accident

Highest injury

Fatal

Weather conditions

Visual Meteorological Cond

Light condition

Not Reported

Sky condition

BKN

Ceiling (ft)

20000

Visibility (sm)

10

Wind direction

200

Wind speed (kt)

14

Temperature (F)

84

Distance from field

0.0

Airport elevation

0

Aircraft

Sequence of events

Findings