Hughes 369F accident near Moyock, NC
On February 24, 2009, a Hughes 369F (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Moyock, NC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 24, 2009
- Place
- Moyock, NC
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369F · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 36.456°N, 76.206°W
- NTSB ID
- 20090225X75532
Official records · ERA09LA173
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On February 24, 2009, about 1336 eastern standard time, a Hughes 369F helicopter, N5205C, registered to EP Aviation LLC, and operated by Presidential Airways Incorporated, crashed into a ship board landing simulator (Conex), while practicing skid toe landings, at the Blackwater Airstrip (NC61), Moyock, North Carolina. The airline transport pilot, certified flight instructor (CFI) was killed and the commercial-rated student pilot received minor injuries. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The flight was operated as an instructional flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed (VMC) at the time of the accident. The flight departed from Elizabeth City CG Air Station/Regional Airport (ECG), Elizabeth City, North Carolina, about 1230 the same day. According to the student, they departed ECG after lunch for the afternoon portion of training. They arrived at the hangar at NC61 and the ground crew at Presidential Airways repositioned the "Little Bird" docking cart. The pilots practiced the toe landings and then single skid landings to both sides. The CFI demonstrated one landing to each side and then the student performed three to four landings on each side. At the completion of these practice landings they repositioned to the conexes to practice the same toe landings. At the completion of those practice landings, they proceeded to the ship board landing simulators, which were constructed of conexes. The student pilot stated that the CFI did a circling pattern around t
Probable cause
The flight instructor's failure to verify that the helicopter's skid was clear of an obstruction while demonstrating a one-skid and toe-in landing maneuver. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's decision to practice this maneuver at an unauthorized landing site.
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Browse: North Carolina · 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.
