MD Helicopters 369D N124AL
13 May 2011 · Columbia, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 13 May 2011 at about 16:17 local time, a MD Helicopters 369D registered N124AL, operated by Airlift Helicopters of Alaska, Inc., was involved in an accident near Columbia, California, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 16:17
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Columbia, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.1217, -119.7675
- Aircraft
- MD Helicopters 369D
- Registration
- N124AL
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Airlift Helicopters of Alaska, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Fresno → Reno
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR11LA220
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The loss of power transmission to the main rotor for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that the helicopter was in cruise flight at 12,500 feet mean sea level over mountainous terrain when power stopped being transmitted to the main rotor system. He performed an autorotation to an open area. During the landing, the tail rotor sustained damage to both blades as they went through about 1 foot of snow. After landing, the engine was still running but was not spinning the main rotor blades. Postaccident examination of the airframe revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The drive train was fully functional. The engine was run in a test cell, which confirmed that it met specifications for all parameters including performance. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other MD Helicopters 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 May 2011 | MD Helicopters 369E | Victoria, Texas, United States | - | 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 | - |
| 16 Aug 2012 | MD Helicopters 369 | Columbus, Ohio, United States | Columbus Police | No injuries | - |
| 7 Mar 2009 | MD Helicopters 369D | Trona, California, United States | Airwest Helicopters, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 May 2009 | MD Helicopters 369FF | Santa Clarita, California, United States | Summit Helicopter Inc | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Nov 2011 | Cessna 172K | Napa, California, United States | Stratus Aviation, LLC | No injuries | - |
| 26 Feb 2011 | Hiller UH-12E | Colusa, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 2011 | Cessna 172P | Palo Alto, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Feb 2011 | Cessna A150M | Grass Valley, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 2011 | Grumman G-164A | Buttonwillow, California, United States | Vince Dusters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 26 Feb 2011 | Cessna 140A | Newark, California, United States | Morris Kenneth E | No injuries | - |