Hughes 369 N353AH

Summary

On 5 August 2023 at about 16:33 local time, a Hughes 369 registered N353AH, operated by Haverfield International Inc, was involved in an accident near Elberon, Virginia, 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.

Date

5 August 2023 at 16:33

Classification

Accident

Location

Elberon, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

37.0316, -76.8084

Aircraft

Hughes 369

Registration

N353AH

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1981

Engines

1

Operator

Haverfield International Inc

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wakefield → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA23LA326

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a power line structure arm, which resulted in main rotor blade contact.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The purpose of the rotorcraft external load flight was to spray water from the helicopter and wash some outside insulators that were suspended from power line structure arms. During the wash, the crew heard a bang, and the helicopter descended into trees. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage after the accident and observed substantial damage to the fuselage and rotor blades. The inspector also observed damage to the power line structure arm that was consistent with main rotor blade contact. The inspector did not find evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter, nor did the operator report any. Based on this information, it is likely that the helicopter’s main rotor struck the power line structure while the pilot was maneuvering in close proximity to it.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.