Summary
On September 19, 2015, a Hughes 269B (N141LL) was involved in an accident near Hartford, AL. The accident resulted in 2 minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, and his subsequent failure to attain adequate altitude during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a wire fence.
The pilot of the helicopter was taking off from a field at farm, and attempted to clear a driveway, when the left skid toe caught on the top of a wire fence. The pilot applied aft cyclic in an attempt to climb; however, the helicopter rolled to the left and impacted the ground. The main rotor, tail rotor, and airframe sustained substantial damage. Subsequent examination of the helicopter did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions which would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported about 3,900 hours of total flight experience in rotorcraft, which included 160 hours in the same make and model as the accident helicopter.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA15CA364. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N141LL.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, and his subsequent failure to attain adequate altitude during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a wire fence.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot of the helicopter was taking off from a field at farm, and attempted to clear a driveway, when the left skid toe caught on the top of a wire fence. The pilot applied aft cyclic in an attempt to climb; however, the helicopter rolled to the left and impacted the ground. The main rotor, tail rotor, and airframe sustained substantial damage. Subsequent examination of the helicopter did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions which would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported about 3,900 hours of total flight experience in rotorcraft, which included 160 hours in the same make and model as the accident helicopter. He further reported that the accident could have been prevented had he conducted a walk around of the takeoff area to better evaluate prospective hazards.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA15CA364