Hughes 369D accident near Dallas, North Carolina, March 6, 2000
On March 6, 2000 at about 5:19 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N303BT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dallas, North Carolina. It was a business 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
The pilot's improper use of flight controls during an emergency landing. Factors were an encounter with a loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE) during an out-of-ground effect hover, the pilot's inadequate weather evaluation, and his failure to follow proper procedures for LTE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 6, 2000 · about 5:19 pm local time
- Place
- Dallas, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N303BT · no longer on the register · serial 1000829D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was performing an out-of-ground effect (OGE) hover at 500 agl while performing aerial photography for a live news broadcast. While hovering OGE on a heading of 195 degrees with the winds were from 030 degrees at 10 knots, the helicopter experienced several unanticipated right yaw excursions. The pilot made the decision to perform an autorotation landing. He stretched the landing to clear power lines and upon impact with the ground, the helicopter rolled onto its right side. According to the pilot, he previously experienced a tail rotor failure in the same model helicopter, and believed the helicopter was possibly experiencing a similar malfunction. Advisory Circular 90-95 (Unanticipated Right Yaw in Helicopters) instructs the pilot to avoid tailwinds while maneuvering between hover and 30 knots and to be aware of wind direction and velocity when hovering in winds of 8-10 knots, especially OGE. A recommended recovery technique is to adjust the controls for normal forward flight. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed no engine or airframe abnormalities.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,700 hours in all; 2,400 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 5,000 as pilot in command; 110 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,950 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 16, 1999; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLT Charlotte NC at 4:45 pm
- Destination: NONE NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from CLT, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.