Hughes 369HS accident near Helena, AL
On November 25, 1999, a Hughes 369HS (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Helena, AL. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- November 25, 1999
- Place
- Helena, AL
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369HS · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.280°N, 86.850°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X20135
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 24, 1999, about 1935 (all times central standard time), a Hughes 369HS, N395WM, registered to Vertical Air, Inc., crashed near Helena, Alabama, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 business flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was destroyed and the commercial-rated pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The flight last departed Dannelly Field, Montgomery, Alabama, the same day, about 1855. A person identifying himself as the pilot of N395WM called the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Anniston Automated Flight Service Station, at 1301:50, stating he was visual flight rules from Birmingham to Montgomery, leaving around 1600, and flying in the area and coming back to Birmingham around 2000. The pilot was told "the airmets for instrument flight rules do expire around three o'clock today so it looks like you got a shot at that uh cold front pretty much right on top of you right now drifting real slow to the east the progs do indicate it's going to start to stall out here shortly though uh forecast for Birmingham for that time frame calls for four thousand broken all the way through ten pm tonight and Montgomery anywhere from three to five thousand broken to scattered so looks pretty good for you." The briefing concluded at 1303:03. See transcripts of communications. A person identifying himself as the pilot of N395WM called the FAA, Anniston Automated Flight Service Station, at 1839:43, stating he was in Montgomery, and would be leaving in the next 20 minutes, going t
Probable cause
The pilots continued visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions resulting in his becoming spatially disoriented and loosing control of the helicopter, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and impact with the ground.
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Browse: Alabama · Hughes aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
