Hughes 369D accident near Mcgrath, Alaska, August 5, 1983
On August 5, 1983 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N1106Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mcgrath, Alaska. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 1983 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Mcgrath, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N1106Z · registry record · serial 210900D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT HE WAS FLYING STRAIGHT & LEVEL AT APRX 700 FT AGL, WHEN THE ENG-OUT LIGHT ILLUMINATED. HE BEGAN AN AUTOROTATION TO A RIDGELINE. DURING THE LANDING, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE TAIL BOOM & SEVERED IT FROM THE MAIN FUSELAGE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ENG BURNER DRAIN VALVE HAD AN AIR LEAKAGE OF 3000 CC/MIN. THE MAX ALLOWABLE OHM LIMIT WAS 800 CC/MIN (AT 20 PSI). THE COMBUSTION LINER HAD EXCESSIVE HEAT DISTORTION ADJACENT TO THE LARGE DIAMETER HOLE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SKIRT. THE 1ST STAGE TURBINE NOZZLE HAD SEVERE HEAT DISTRESS ON 14 TRAILING EDGE VANES & 11 LEADING EDGE VANES. THE FUEL NOZZLE HAD HEAVY CARBON DEPOSITS ON THE SPRAY TIP & AIR SHROUD. ALSO, A WHITE RESIDUE WAS FOUND IN THE ENG & A FUEL SAMPLE REVERSED 425 PARTS PER MILLION OF PHOSPHORUS.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,640 hours in all; 2,310 in this make and model; 375 in the last 90 days; 3,640 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,617 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 31, 1983; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MCG Mcgrath AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 12 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft; not recorded at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N1106Z the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC83LA138.