Hughes 369 N105AC

Summary

On 22 January 2026 at about 21:00 local time, a Hughes 369 registered N105AC, operated by Agricultural Air Services LLC, was involved in an accident near North Augusta, South Carolina, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

22 January 2026 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

North Augusta, South Carolina, United States

Coordinates

33.6265, -81.9294

Aircraft

Hughes 369

Registration

N105AC

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Agricultural Air Services LLC

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

External Load

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA26LA097

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On January 22, 2026, at 1600 eastern standard time, a Hughes 369D, N105AC, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near North Augusta, South Carolina. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 133 external load flight. The pilot reported that about 45 minutes into conducting tree trimming operations an engine chips caution light illuminated. The pilot was attempting to return to the landing zone when the engine torque and temperature began to fluctuate, and the helicopter subsequently experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot jettisoned the external load and conducted an autorotation to the ground which resulted in substantial damage to the helicopter. The helicopter was retained for further examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.