Hughes 369D N4943T

Summary

On 7 June 1994 at about 02:50 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N4943T, operated by Cherry Helicopters, Inc., was involved in an accident near Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 June 1994 at 02:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States

Coordinates

21.4101, -157.7899

Aircraft

Hughes 369D

Registration

N4943T

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Cherry Helicopters, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Honolulu → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX94LA241

Nobody was injured.

the operator's and pilot's failure to ensure that the cargo net containing empty paper bags was sufficiently ballasted to prevent it from flying up into the tail rotor.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said the helicopter was lifting construction supplies to a power line tower in a mountainous area above the staging area. On the accident flight segment, the helicopter had delivered a load of dry cement in a cargo net and was returning with the empty paper bags in the cargo net. As the helicopter established a 20-foot hover at the staging area, the net flew upward into the tail rotor. The tail rotor assembly and gear box separated from the tail boom and the helicopter began to spin. The pilot lowered the collective to initiate an autorotation and the helicopter landed hard.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.