Hughes 369D accident near Tuckers Crossing, MS
On December 29, 2020, a Hughes 369D (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Tuckers Crossing, MS. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 29, 2020
- Place
- Tuckers Crossing, MS
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 31.612°N, 89.087°W
- NTSB ID
- 20201229102472
Official records · CEN21LA102
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Excerpt Of Company Communications: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn December 29, 2020, about 0835 central standard time, a Hughes 369D helicopter, N103SU, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Tuckers Crossing, Mississippi. The pilot was fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 133 external load flight. According to the operator, the pilot departed for the first flight of the day from a private landing zone to begin aerial tree trimming operations along a transmission line, which was about 2.7 miles from the departure location. The helicopter contained about 400 pounds of fuel and was equipped with an external saw assembly that was about 120 ft in length. The mission’s ground support specialist (GSS), who was in communication with the pilot via radio, stated that the helicopter approached the trimming zone from the south and flew northbound to the east of the transmission line. He estimated that the external saw was about 40 to 50 ft above the trees. The GSS and the pilot discussed hazards located in the trimming zone. Shortly thereafter, the pilot announced over the radio that he would be making an emergency landing. The GSS reported he did not see any smoke or hear any “odd noises” coming from the helicopter and that “the helicopter made a quick forward descent until the saw disappeared into the east tree line.” The helicopter subsequently impacted trees and terrain, and a postimpact fire ensued. The accident site was located in wooded terrain to the east of the transmission line (see figure 1). The external saw assembly was found connected to th
Probable cause
The pilot’s loss of helicopter control when the external saw contacted trees during an attempted emergency landing due to a main rotor transmission oil pressure warning. The reason that the pilot did not release the external saw from the helicopter during the attempted emergency landing could not be determined based on the available evidence.
More accidents in MS
- Beech A36TC, May 16, 2016
- Cessna 336, Sep 15, 2004
- Piper PA-24-180, May 8, 1999
- Mooney M20C, Jul 30, 2005
- Beech A36, Dec 3, 1983
Browse: Mississippi · 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.
