Hughes 369D N8365F
5 May 1985 · Spokane, Washington, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 5 May 1985 at about 15:35 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N8365F, operated by Clifford D. Richey, was involved in an accident near Spokane, Washington, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 15:35
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Spokane, Washington, United States
- Nearest airport
- Unmarked Helipad
- Coordinates
- 47.6194, -117.4003
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D
- Registration
- N8365F
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Clifford D. Richey
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Observation
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA85FA104
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 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
THE HELICOPTER WAS ON A FLT TO A TV STATION TO TRANSPORT A TV CAMERA MAN & HIS GEAR. THE REGULAR PLT FOR THIS TRIP WAS UNABLE TO FLY, SO ANOTHER WAS RETAINED FOR THE FLT. THIS WAS HIS 1ST FLT TO THE STATION. HELICOPTER OPERATIONS AT THE TV STATION WERE CONDUCTED FROM A PARKING LOT. AN UNMARKED AREA IN THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE PARKING LOT WAS INTENDED TO BE USED AS A HELIPAD. OPERATIONS TO THE HELIPAD REQUIRED THAT THE HELICOPTER BE MANEUVERED IN THE VICINITY OF TV TOWERS & GUY WIRES. ONE DOUBLE STRAND OF GUY WIRES CROSSED OVER THE PARKING LOT BETWEEN THE CENTER & FAR CORNER OF THE PARKING LOT, AWAY FROM THE HELIPAD, NEAR THE TV STATION (BUILDING). WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE PLT ENTERED THE PARKING LOT FROM THE NORTHEAST & LANDED NEAR 2 LIGHT STANDARDS BELOW THE DOUBLE STRAND OF GUY WIRES. HE EGRESSED & HELPED THE CAMERA MAN WITHOUT SHUTTING DOWN THE ENG. DURING TAKEOFF, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES HIT A GUY WIRE & THE HELICOPTER CRASHED & BURNED IN THE PARKING LOT, A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE LIFT-OFF POINT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hughes 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Feb 1985 | Hughes 369D | Hilo, Hawaii, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 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 | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Feb 1985 | Cessna 172 | Spanaway, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Feb 1985 | Beechcraft BE-77 | Pasco, Washington, United States | Karl Bergstorm | No injuries | - |
| 24 Feb 1985 | Cessna TU206F | Seattle, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Mar 1985 | Cessna 177A | Stanwood, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Mar 1985 | Grumman 164A | Ritzville, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 1985 | Bellanca 7GCBC | Bremerton, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |