Hughes 369A (OH-6A) accident near Palmer, Alaska, September 29, 2009
On September 29, 2009 at about 1:00 am local time, a Hughes 369A (OH-6A) (helicopter), registered N501SU, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Palmer, Alaska (Wolf Lake Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power after take off for an undetermined reason, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 2009 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Palmer, Alaska · Wolf Lake Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369A (OH-6A) · all 369A (OH-6A)s on the register
- Registration
- N501SU · no longer on the register · serial 480435
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was departing on a local flight in a turbine-powered helicopter. During the initial climb, about 35 feet above the ground, the engine lost power. The pilot entered an autorotation and attempted to cushion the landing, but the helicopter landed hard and the main rotor blades struck the tail boom, severing it from the helicopter. After the accident the engine continued to run, but at low power, requiring the pilot to close the engine throttle and shutdown the engine. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) postaccident examination revealed no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the engine or helicopter. The engine was removed from the helicopter, shipped to an engine service center, and placed in an engine test cell. At the direction of an FAA airworthiness inspector, and assisted by an air safety investigator from the engine manufacturer, the engine produced power that was within the manufacturer's performance standards.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event
- Autorotation Hard landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,499 hours in all; 105 in this make and model; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C10D (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4AK6 Wasilla AK at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 4AK6 Wasilla AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 3,800 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from PAAQ, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.