Hughes 269A N7057L

Summary

On 2 April 2022 at about 14:30 local time, a Hughes 269A registered N7057L, operated by TRI County Rentals and Sales Inc, was involved in an accident near Fort White, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

2 April 2022 at 14:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort White, Florida, United States

Coordinates

29.9926, -82.7097

Aircraft

Hughes 269A

Registration

N7057L

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1967

Engines

1

Operator

TRI County Rentals and Sales Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lake City → Trenton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA22LA180

2 people had minor injuries.

The non-instrument-rated pilot’s decision to fly a visual flight rules only helicopter in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a collision with trees and terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The weather when the non-instrument-rated helicopter pilot initiated the flight included a ceiling of 250 ft mean sea level (msl) and visibility of ½ mile, which corresponded to instrument meteorological conditions. After flying for 15 minutes, the helicopter “entered a wall of fog.” The pilot attempted to turn the helicopter around and return to an area of better visibility; however, the tail rotor impacted trees. The pilot did not realize that the helicopter was in a right turn and reduced engine power. The helicopter descended to ground in a bank, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, tailboom, and rotor blades. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. According to the helicopter owner’s maintenance and flight manual, “instrument flight [is] prohibited.”

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.