Hughes 369A accident near Stoneburg, TX
On May 19, 2018, a Hughes 369A (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Stoneburg, TX. 4 people were seriously injured. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 19, 2018
- Place
- Stoneburg, TX
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369A · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 0 fatal, 4 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.707°N, 97.917°W
- NTSB ID
- 20180519X83954
Official records · CEN18LA183
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On May 19, 2018, about 0930 central daylight time, a Hughes 369A helicopter, N369GK, struck trees and impacted terrain about 4 miles north of Stoneburg and 8 miles north of Bowie, Texas.. The pilot and three passengers were seriously injured, and the helicopter was destroyed. The helicopter was registered to Longhorn Helicopters and operated by Hogbirds under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an aerial tour flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was part of a guided hog hunt on private property for military veterans. There were four occupants on board: the pilot in the right front seat, the navigator in the left front seat, and two passengers in the rear acting as shooters. According to a passenger, who was seated in the front left seat and was acting as a navigator during the flight, the flight had completed a hunt and a call had been made to safe the weapons. Subsequently, the flight started to return to the landing zone. While flying about 125 feet above the ground a passenger spotted a coyote below the helicopter and notified the rest of the occupants. The pilot made a sudden tight right turn and entered a steep descent downwind to chase the coyote. The flight crossed a road and dropped into the middle of a wheat field. The flight rapidly approached a tree line and the pilot initiated a climb, but the helicopter collided with trees and impacted terrain. The navigator was able to extricate himself from the helicopter and went for help. The pilot and passengers
Probable cause
The pilot's unsafe and aggressive operation of the helicopter at low altitude, which resulted in impact with trees.
More accidents in TX
- Kubicek BB85, Jul 30, 2016
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- Beech B100, Nov 26, 1983
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Browse: Texas · 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.
