Hughes 369D N713HT

Summary

On 18 April 2001 at about 19:30 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N713HT was involved in an accident near Du Quoin, Illinois, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 April 2001 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Du Quoin, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

37.9991, -89.2309

Aircraft

Hughes 369D

Registration

N713HT

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Du Quoin → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI01LA119

1 person had minor injuries.

loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, the pilot operating the helicopter outside of the height-velocity curve, and the pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during the emergency landing. Factors relating to the accident were the pilot's attempted run-on landing and his improper in-flight decision to not land immediately after experiencing the engine problem.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that he was using an aerial saw to side trim trees along a powerline right-of-way. The pilot said, "At the end of the tree line at approximately 150' (feet) agl (above ground level) I applied power to climb, immediately the low rotor rpm horn sounded. I tried to increase N2/Nr (engine and rotor rpm) with the governor 'beep switch' and checked N2/Nr. There was no response from trying to increase N2/Nr and N2/Nr was in the low 90's. I lowered the collective, released the saw and radioed my ground crew that the engine had stopped. At this point I had low airspeed, low N2/Nr and approximately 100' agl. I aimed the aircraft at an open field and tried to gain airspeed to attempt a running landing." The pilot said the helicopter "impacted the field in a near horizontal attitude." An examination of the helicopter at the accident site showed the helicopter resting on its left side in a corn stubble field approximately 300 feet south of east-west running power lines, and approximately 730 feet from a clearway of trees where the helicopter was cutting prior to the accident. An examination of the helicopter revealed no anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.