Hughes 369HS N16Q

Summary

On 19 April 2003 at about 16:30 local time, a Hughes 369HS registered N16Q was involved in an accident near Conroe, Texas, United States. 2 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.

Date

19 April 2003 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Conroe, Texas, United States

Coordinates

30.3519, -95.4144

Aircraft

Hughes 369HS

Registration

N16Q

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Montgomery → Conroe

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW03LA134

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inability to control the helicopter after encountering loss of tail rotor effectiveness. A contributing factor was the unfavorable winds.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and his passenger/observer were assisting local authorities during a search mission involving a boating incident on the lake. The pilot flew the helicopter 20-30 feet over the water on a north-south pass parallel to the shoreline. Based on the observers sighting in the water, the pilot turned the helicopter to the left (made a 180 degree turn), flew over the lake, and then inbound near the shoreline. While hovering out of ground effect on a west southwest direction, the helicopter encountered a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and entered a spin to the right, which the pilot was unable to arrest. The helicopter impacted the water, and came to rest on its left side. The weather observation facility reported the wind from 130 degrees at 9 knots. The main rotor system hub assembly and components and the tail rotor driveshaft exhibited damage consistent with sudden stoppage associated with fuselage/water/ground. Metallurgical examination revealed that the main rotor driveshaft and, the tail rotor driveshaft fractured in torsional overload. Examination of the helicopter did not reveal any discrepancies or anomalies that would have prevented operation of the helicopter prior to the impact.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.