Summary
On November 27, 2012, a Hughes 369D (N163PJ) was involved in an accident near Sheridan, OR. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot’s failure to prevent the helicopter from entering a vortex ring state (settling with power) condition during an external load operation, which resulted in the helicopter’s main rotor blades impacting the truck.
During a Christmas tree harvest the pilot was repositioning the trees from the harvest field and placing them into the bed of the load truck using an 18-foot tag line. He had completed at least five loads prior to the accident load. On the accident load the pilot had just released the load into the truck when he felt the helicopter was encountering a settling with power condition. The pilot attempted to maneuver the helicopter to land on the road in front of the load truck. The pilot thought he was clear of the truck when the main rotor blades hit the truck just above the cab. The helicopter impacted the ground and the main rotor blades separated the tail boom.
This accident is documented in NTSB report WPR13CA057. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N163PJ.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s failure to prevent the helicopter from entering a vortex ring state (settling with power) condition during an external load operation, which resulted in the helicopter’s main rotor blades impacting the truck.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
During a Christmas tree harvest the pilot was repositioning the trees from the harvest field and placing them into the bed of the load truck using an 18-foot tag line. He had completed at least five loads prior to the accident load. On the accident load the pilot had just released the load into the truck when he felt the helicopter was encountering a settling with power condition. The pilot attempted to maneuver the helicopter to land on the road in front of the load truck. The pilot thought he was clear of the truck when the main rotor blades hit the truck just above the cab. The helicopter impacted the ground and the main rotor blades separated the tail boom. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter or engine, which would have precluded normal operations.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR13CA057