Hughes 369 N9251f
28 October 1996 · Vestaburg, Michigan, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 28 October 1996 at about 16:50 local time, a Hughes 369 registered N9251f, operated by Ironrange Aviation, was involved in an accident near Vestaburg, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and one died. 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 16:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Vestaburg, Michigan, United States
- Coordinates
- 43.3907, -84.9003
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369
- Registration
- N9251f
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Ironrange Aviation
- Operating rule
- Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI97LA016
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
failure of the pilot to maintain clearance with the wires.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot had just dropped off a load off christmas trees, and was relocating the helicopter from the north side of a field to the south side when the rotor blades of the helicopter contacted power lines. One witness reported that he heard no abnormal engine noises coming from the helicopter, before the accident. Another witness reported that the pilot appeared to duck just before the helicopter contacted the wires. An on-scene investigation of the airframe and engine did not reveal any abnormalities.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Aug 1996 | Aeronca 11AC | Charlotte, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 20 Aug 1996 | Piper PA-28-180 | Hartford, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 2 Sep 1996 | Piper PA-28-180 | Grosse Ile, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 8 Sep 1996 | Taylorcraft BC-12D | Bellaire, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 Aug 1996 | Cessna 150M | Traverse City, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 1996 | Piper J3C-65 | Grosse Ile, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |