MD Helicopter 369 accident near Columbus, Ohio, August 16, 2012
On August 16, 2012 at about 5:50 am local time, a MD Helicopter 369, registered N551CP, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Columbus, Ohio. It was a public-use flight (local) under public-use (government) rules. 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 failure of a 4th-stage turbine blade due to high-cycle fatigue, which resulted in the loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2012 · about 5:50 am local time
- Place
- Columbus, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- MD Helicopter 369 E
- Registration
- N551CP · registry record · serial 0571E
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (local) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, shortly after leveling off the helicopter at 1,500 ft mean sea level, he heard a "loud exploding noise" coming from the rear of the helicopter followed by a "long sustained whining noise" coming from the engine and a constant warning tone in the background. The pilot then saw the gas producer (N1) and power turbine (N2) gauge needles falling rapidly. He identified the situation as an engine failure, so he performed an autorotation. The helicopter subsequently touched down on a street, slid, rotated counterclockwise about 1 1/2 turns, then came to a stop. The main rotor blades contacted a utility pole adjacent to the street, and the tail fin, stabilizer, and tail rotor broke off. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that a 4-inch segment of the 4th-stage turbine shroud was fractured in the plane of the 4th-stage turbine wheel. The 4th-stage turbine was missing one blade, and the blade had fractured off near the inner platform. A three-blade span of the related segment of the rim was also missing. An examination of the missing blades' fracture surfaces showed evidence consistent with high-cycle fatigue likely caused by an engine speed/airframe interaction of unknown origin, which resulted in the blade failure and subsequent loss of engine power.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (climb to cruise)
- Autorotation Loss of engine power (total)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Turbine section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Turbine section › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › (general) › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 2,450 in this make and model; 306 in the last 90 days; 48 in the last 30 days; 2,450 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 25, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,667 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Columbus Police
The flight
- Departed from: Columbus OH at 5:50 am
- Destination: Columbus OH
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 am from CMH, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N551CP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.