Hughes 369D N31HM

Summary

On 8 September 2007 at about 22:05 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N31HM was involved in an accident near Ellensburg, Washington, United States. 3 people were on board and one died. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 September 2007 at 22:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Ellensburg, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Bowers Filed (ELN)

Coordinates

46.8217, -120.4403

Aircraft

Hughes 369D

Registration

N31HM

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Puyallup → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX07LA270

1 person died.

The passenger's inadequate visual lookout and failure to maintain clearance from the rotating main rotor disc while the helicopter was hovering. An uphill terrain condition was a factor

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to the accident, the pilot and the second passenger (a biologist) had flown on numerous missions over the course of more than 20 years. The day of the accident, the flight departed early in the morning for the purpose of relocating bighorn sheep. During the flight, the front left-seated pilot was maneuvering the helicopter, allowing both the gunner (aft left seat) and mugger (aft right seat) to capture the sheep. After capturing 16 sheep, the mission continued toward the achievement of the 20 sheep goal for that day. The crew gunned two sheep in one net, and the pilot maneuvered the helicopter onto the hillside (about a 30-percent grade). He continued toe-ing the helicopter into the hillside with the front skids in contact with terrain and the netted sheep off the right side of the helicopter. The gunner egressed the left side and walked into the rotating main rotor disc, killing himself. The pilot opined that the gunner may have been feeling added pressure and fatigue on the capture. A review of the operator's employee manual disclosed that the operations on the accident flight were in compliance with the manual. However, the manual did not address passenger briefing of egress instructions on a regular basis.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.