Hughes 369D N369LA
6 February 1985 · Hilo, Hawaii, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 6 February 1985 at about 01:50 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N369LA was involved in an accident near Hilo, Hawaii, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 01:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hilo, Hawaii, United States
- Coordinates
- 19.6893, -155.0802
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D
- Registration
- N369LA
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Kahului → Volcano Natl Pk
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX85FA136
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.
Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A SEARCH WAS INITIATED WHEN THE HELICOPTER DID NOT ARRIVE. IT WAS FND 2 DAYS LATER WHERE IT CRASHED DRG AN AUTOROTATION IN A RAIN FOREST. DRG THE FLARE/TOUCHDOWN, VEGETATION HAD CAUGHT ON A TUNDRA PAD ON THE L SKID & THE ACFT ROLLED OVER. AN EXAM REVEALED THE LWR BENDIX COUPLING ON THE ENG-TO-TRANSMISSION DRIVE SHAFT, PN 369A4410, & THE UPPER R ENG MOUNT, PN 369H8017, HAD FAILED. UNAPPROVED MOD/REPAIRS HAD BEEN MADE TO BOTH THE DRIVE SHAFT & OVERLYING COVER PANEL. A STEEL REINFORCING ROD HAD BEEN INSTALLED INSIDE THE COVER PANEL. DUE TO PRESSURE OF CARGO (LARGE WTR BUCKET), THE STEEL ROD HAD BEEN FORCED ONTO THE DRIVE SHAFT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF ANGULAR MISALIGNMENT & LATER FAILURE OF THE DRIVE SHAFT. A METALLURGICAL EXAM OF THE ENG MOUNT REVEALED LOW CYCLIC FATIGUE IN THE THREADED ROD AREA OF THE ADJUSTING SCREW. THE FRACTURE AREA OF THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS TOO BADLY DAMAGED TO DETERMINE THE MODE OF FAILURE. ACFT PREV OPERD IN CANADA, REG C-GVTJ. ANNUAL INSPN & U.S. AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE ISSUED DESPITE UNAPPROVED MOD. DATE OF MOD UNKNOWN.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hughes 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Nov 1985 | Hughes 369D | Kunia, Oahu, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 1985 | Hughes 369HS | Aiken, South Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 1985 | Hughes 369HS | Princeton, Missouri, United States | Kcmo Radio | No injuries | - |
| 8 May 1985 | Hughes 369HS | Malvern, Arkansas, United States | Three Rivers Helicopters | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Feb 1985 | Hughes 369D | Hilo, Hawaii, United States | Sunair Copters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 6 Aug 1985 | Hughes 369D | Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 1985 | Cessna 150H | Waipahu, Hawaii, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 1985 | Bell 206B-III | Lahaina, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Nov 1985 | Cessna T188C | Hilo, Hawaii, United States | Trans-Air, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 20 Apr 1985 | Bell 206-L1 | Kailua/Kona, Hawaii, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Dec 1985 | Cessna 150K | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | Valentine K. Mahuka | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 1985 | Beechcraft 23 | Kamuela, Hawaii, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |