Hughes 269B N9508F

Summary

On 27 April 2001 at about 22:40 local time, a Hughes 269B registered N9508F was involved in an accident near Nacogdoches, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 April 2001 at 22:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Nacogdoches, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

A.L. Mangham Jr. Regional (OCH)

Coordinates

31.6104, -94.6495

Aircraft

Hughes 269B

Registration

N9508F

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Nacogdoches → Nacogdoches

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW01LA109

1 person had minor injuries.

the pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the wires during takeoff. Contributory factors were the sunglare and the unmarked wires.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter was parked on a trailer between two T-hangars and under a power line. The pilot stated that he cleared the area around the helicopter; however, he did not clear the area directly over the helicopter. The pilot lifted off the trailer and impacted the power line approximately 30 feet above the ground. The pilot mentioned that at the time of the accident, "the sun was at an angle and intensity so that the wires were not visible." He also stated that the wires were not marked with red balls. The power line wrapped around the main rotor mast and partially separated one of the main rotor blades. The helicopter then entered an uncontrolled descent and impacted the ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.