Pilot Debrief

HUGHES HELICOPTERS INC 369E near Miami, FL — 2023-12-27

Final reportERA24FA075
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Date
2023-12-27
Location
Miami, FL, USA
Airport
TMB
Aircraft
HUGHES HELICOPTERS INC 369E
Registration
N757TB
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

Main rotor contact with the tail boom for unknown reasons, resulting in the separation of the tail boom.

NTSB narrative

The pilot and passenger were returning to their home airport after dropping off a family member at another airport. The passenger stated that the helicopter yawed to the right and began to spin out of control immediately before the accident. The helicopter descended and impacted into a canal, where it was located in about 20 ft of water. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed evidence of main rotor contact with the tail boom, resulting the separation of a portion of the tail boom in flight. Separation of the tail boom, and the resultant loss of tail rotor thrust, would lead to a sudden right yaw, consistent with the passenger’s description. There was no evidence of a malfunction of the main rotor system, flight control system, or a loss of engine power that could have resulted in the main rotor’s contact with the tail boom. Because the helicopter was not equipped with, nor was required to be equipped with, a flight data recorder or a cockpit image recorder, the pilot’s flight control inputs leading up to the main rotor’s contact with the tail boom is unknown.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 8 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents8

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