Hughes 369D N458HW

Summary

On 8 December 2022 at about 11:15 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N458HW, operated by Heliwild Investments LLC, was involved in an accident near La Sal, Utah, 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.

Date

8 December 2022 at 11:15

Classification

Accident

Location

La Sal, Utah, United States

Coordinates

38.4439, -109.2426

Aircraft

Hughes 369D

Registration

N458HW

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Heliwild Investments LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA063

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain during a toe-in landing to sloping terrain which resulted in a loss of helicopter control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while the helicopter was in a stable hover against a mountain slope [toe-in landing], there was suddenly a “big bang”, and the helicopter began to descend and violently shuddered. He attempted to maneuver away from the slope, but the helicopter slid down the slope then came to rest on its left side. The pilot suspected a loose rock may have fell into the main rotor system or the main rotor blades contacted the slope. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, main rotor, and tail cone. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.