Hughes 369A N58963

Summary

On 7 June 2001 at about 15:00 local time, a Hughes 369A registered N58963 was involved in an accident near Perry, West Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 June 2001 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Perry, West Virginia, United States

Coordinates

38.4902, -80.9540

Aircraft

Hughes 369A

Registration

N58963

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Harrisburg → Bristol

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD01FA066

1 person died.

The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain terrain clearance. A contributing factor was mountainous terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed on a VFR cross-country flight in the helicopter without obtaining a weather briefing, or filing a flight plan. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed along the route of flight. Minutes before the accident, a retired U.S. Army aviator observed the helicopter flying along an obscured ridgeline, with the helicopter's main rotors disappearing into the clouds. The helicopter came to rest on a mountain approximately 3,200 feet high, a few miles from where the witness observed the helicopter. The wreckage was on the northwest side of the mountain, on a slope of about 40 degrees, at an elevation of 2,610 feet. The initial impact point was two trees side-by-side, about 10 feet apart, and perpendicular to the wreckage path. Facing the direction of travel, the tree on the right showed a deep slash mark on the approach side of the tree, and a sharp, angular cut tree trunk remained from the tree on the left. A corresponding, angular cut tree trunk with the top branches attached rested below the tree on the left. Examination of the wreckage revealed no mechanical anomalies. The helicopter was not configured for instrument flight, and according to the Owner's Manual, instrument flight was prohibited.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.