MD Helicopters 369FF N67FF
1 May 2009 · Santa Clarita, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 1 May 2009 at about 22:15 local time, a MD Helicopters 369FF registered N67FF, operated by Summit Helicopter Inc, was involved in an accident near Santa Clarita, California, United States. One person was 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.
The record
- Date
- at 22:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Santa Clarita, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.4667, -118.6333
- Aircraft
- MD Helicopters 369FF
- Registration
- N67FF
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Summit Helicopter Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
- Purpose of flight
- External Load
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Santa Clarita → Santa Clarita
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR09LA226
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the water while maneuvering at low altitude as a result of the helicopter's grappling hook temporarily becoming ensnared with an underwater obstruction.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that he was maneuvering the helicopter about 10 feet above a reservoir in an attempt to use its rotor wash to propel an object to the shore. During this maneuver, the helicopter's long-line and attached grappling hook were submerged in the water. With the helicopter moving at low speed about 10 feet from the shoreline, the grappling hook became temporarily ensnared on an underwater obstruction and the helicopter made a rapid and violent turn. The pilot initiated emergency procedures and maneuvered the helicopter toward the shore. It touched down on uneven terrain with the left skid on dry land and the right skid in the water. Examination of the helicopter revealed that there was a torsional fracture and separation of the tail rotor drive shaft as a result of the tail rotor blades contacting the water. No anomalies with the main rotor controls were found.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other MD Helicopters 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Mar 2009 | MD Helicopters 369D | Trona, California, United States | Airwest Helicopters, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 2009 | MD Helicopters 369E | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | City of Atlanta Police Department | No injuries | - |
| 30 Oct 2010 | MD Helicopters 369E | Thomas, West Virginia, United States | Winco Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 Nov 2010 | MD Helicopters 369D | Salem, Oregon, United States | Precision Helicopters, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 May 2011 | MD Helicopters 369D | Columbia, California, United States | Airlift Helicopters of Alaska, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 16 May 2011 | MD Helicopters 369E | Victoria, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 2009 | Cessna 172P | Livermore, California, United States | Wollard Aviation Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 10 Dec 2009 | Piper PA-38-112 | Ojai, California, United States | Aviation Pacific Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 28 Feb 2009 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Fallbrook, California, United States | M.Y. Air Corp | No injuries | - |
| 28 Feb 2009 | Mooney M20E | Rio Linda, California, United States | David Michaud | Fatal | 2 |
| 29 Nov 2009 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 | Torrance, California, United States | Smith Richard Charles | No injuries | - |
| 23 Aug 2009 | Piper PA-24-260 | Santa Barbara, California, United States | Kris S Michel | No injuries | - |