MD Helicopters 369 N5189K
1 September 2017 · Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 1 September 2017 at about 14:58 local time, a MD Helicopters 369 registered N5189K, operated by Gwinnett County Police Department, was involved in an accident near Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously 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 14:58
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States
- Nearest airport
- Gwinnett (LZU)
- Coordinates
- 33.9781, -83.9625
- Aircraft
- MD Helicopters 369
- Registration
- N5189K
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1984
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Gwinnett County Police Department
- Operating rule
- Public Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lawrenceville → Lawrenceville
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA17LA305
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions during the approach to landing, which resulted in a loss of helicopter control due to a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During the approach to line up with a helipad, the commercial pilot noted that the helipad was not set up for landing into the wind, so he discontinued the approach and decided to land on a nearby wash rack, into the wind. As he turned right, the helicopter encountered a wind gust, or the wind was blocked by a nearby outbuilding, which can cause a turbulent effect. The helicopter suddenly and violently yawed right and pitched up. He attempted to correct the condition with pedal and cyclic inputs; however, a right spin ensued, and the helicopter spun to the ground and then came to rest on its right side. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot did not adequately compensate for wind conditions, and when he added power to compensate, the helicopter yawed right and pitched up. The pilot was unable to stop the yaw and lost helicopter control due to a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other MD Helicopters 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Mar 2017 | MD Helicopters 369 | Mexicali, Mexico | - | Fatal | 5 |
| 26 Sep 2017 | MD Helicopters 369 | Norrbotten, Sweden, Sweden | Visimind AB | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Nov 2017 | MD Helicopters 369HS | La Morita, Mexico | City of Tijuana | Fatal | 2 |
| 14 Jun 2017 | MD Helicopters 369 | Bultfontein, South Africa | Aircraft Asset Finance Corporation | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jun 2016 | MD Helicopters 369E | Brainerd, Minnesota, United States | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | No injuries | - |
| 20 May 2018 | MD Helicopters 369D | Luling, Louisiana, United States | AIR2, LLC | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Nov 2017 | Cessna 140 | Macon, Georgia, United States | Clear Blue Sky Aviation LLC. | No injuries | - |
| 4 Mar 2017 | Cessna 421 | Canton, Georgia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 23 Jun 2017 | Airbus A321 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Delta Air Lines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 2017 | Rockwell S 2R | McRae, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Sep 2017 | Cessna 150G | Rhine, Georgia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 May 2017 | Cessna 150M | Homerville, Georgia, United States | Tailwheels Etc. | No injuries | - |