Mcdonnell Douglas 369D accident near Eagle, Alaska, September 11, 1992
On September 11, 1992 at about 5:10 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas 369D (helicopter), registered N1096X, was destroyed in an accident near Eagle, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN INFLIGHT FATIGUE FAILURE AND SEPARATION OF A MAIN ROTOR BLADE, INADEQUATE OPERATOR MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION, AND MATERIAL DEFECT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 1992 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Eagle, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas 369D
- Registration
- N1096X · no longer on the register · serial 110836D
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE PILOT RADIOED HE WAS RETURNING DUE TO POOR VISUAL FLIGHT CONDITIONS, AND WAS LAST SEEN CIRCLING THE EAGLE RUNWAY. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND APRX 7 HRS LATER 150 YDS NORTH OF THE RUNWAY. THE BLUE M/R BLADE WAS FOUND SEPARATED; THE TRAILING ATTACHMENT LUGS OF BOTH THE UPPER AND LOWER BLADE ROOT FITTINGS WERE FRACTURED THROUGH THE HOLES, AND THE LEAD LAG DAMPENER LUG WAS ALSO FRACTURED. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED FATIGUE PROGRESSION ON ALL FOUR ROOT FRACTURES. OPERATOR MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF AD91-17-04 REQUIREMENT TO REMOVE & INSPECT THE M/R BLADES AT 100-HR INTERVALS.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,779 hours in all; 281 in this make and model; 205 in the last 90 days; 61 in the last 30 days; 3,644 as pilot in command; 7 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,023 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 14, 1992; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Tundra Copters INC.
The flight
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.