Hughes 369HE N521TC
24 June 1996 · Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 24 June 1996 at about 15:00 local time, a Hughes 369HE registered N521TC, operated by Werner Hagel, was involved in an accident near Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States. 4 people were 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.
The record
- Date
- at 15:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States
- Nearest airport
- Las Cruces International (LRU)
- Coordinates
- 32.2800, -106.7494
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369HE
- Registration
- N521TC
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Werner Hagel
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Globe → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW96LA274
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain clearance between the tail rotor and a fence while hovering.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During a landing hover (IGE), the tail rotor struck the top of a chain link fence and the tail rotor and gearbox separated from the aircraft. Subsequently, during the spinning of the helicopter, the pilot lowered the collective, the left skid struck the ramp, and the helicopter came to a stop on its left side.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hughes 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Apr 1996 | Hughes 369D | Yerington, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jun 1996 | Hughes 369D | Ketchikan, Alaska, United States | U.s. Forest Service | No injuries | - |
| 16 Nov 1996 | Hughes 369D | Forks, Washington, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Oct 1996 | Hughes 369D | Watkins, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Jul 1996 | Hughes 369D | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Oct 1996 | Hughes 369E | Hesston, Kansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Sep 1996 | Republic RC-3 | Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 May 1996 | Rockwell NA-265-80 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jan 1996 | Cessna T210M | Las Vegas, New Mexico, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Jan 1996 | Bellanca 17-30A | Belen, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jan 1996 | Boeing B75N1 | Bernal, New Mexico, United States | Trans Mountain Air, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Feb 1996 | Masnic SKY HOPPER II | Edgewood, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |