Hughes 369F N5205C

Summary

On 24 February 2009 at about 18:36 local time, a Hughes 369F registered N5205C, operated by Presidential Airways Inc., was involved in an accident near Moyock, North Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, 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

24 February 2009 at 18:36

Classification

Accident

Location

Moyock, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Blackwater Airstrip (NC61)

Coordinates

36.4556, -76.2064

Aircraft

Hughes 369F

Registration

N5205C

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Presidential Airways Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Moyock → Moyock

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09LA173

1 person died.

The flight instructor's failure to verify that the helicopter's skid was clear of an obstruction while demonstrating a one-skid and toe-in landing maneuver. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's decision to practice this maneuver at an unauthorized landing site.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The purpose of the accident flight was to provide familiarization training in the MD-530 to an experienced and qualified helicopter pilot, recently hired by the company, before that new pilot’s deployment to Iraq. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) chose to demonstrate one-skid and toe-in landings/confined area landing technique on a ship simulator. The maneuver was beyond basic familiarization procedures and the site chosen by the flight instructor was not approved for familiarization training. The student pilot stated that the CFI did a circling pattern around the simulators to make sure that they were clear. Then he started an approach to the top rail. When they got close to touching down the student leaned forward and looked at the toe of the skid and saw it was under the top rail. He was reaching for the press to talk button to tell the CFI when the helicopter flipped over the railing and into a stairwell.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.