Hughes 369 N58431

Summary

On 26 February 2021 at about 21:30 local time, a Hughes 369 registered N58431 was involved in an accident near Kaufman, Texas, United States. 4 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.

Date

26 February 2021 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Kaufman, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.5853, -96.3078

Aircraft

Hughes 369

Registration

N58431

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lone Oak → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA139

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a power line during low-level maneuvering.

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 struck a power line while he pursued a small group of pigs during an aerial hunting flight. The helicopter was about 30 ft. above ground level when it struck an inactive power line running from a support pole to an abandoned farmhouse. The pilot executed a “quickstop” and landed normally in the field. Both power lines were cut, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage to one main rotor blade, one tail rotor blade, and the vertical stabilizer. There were no anomalies associated with the helicopter before the accident. According to the pilot, the operator had not previously conducted any flights at that location. He noted that, in the future, the operator will conduct a “recon of the area [and] not get below the tree line in an unfamiliar area.”

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.