Hughes 369D accident near Camdenton, Missouri, May 15, 2013
On May 15, 2013 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N725M, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Camdenton, Missouri. It was an external-load flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 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 piece of wood/tree that contacted the main rotor blade during the low altitude tree-trimming flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2013 · about 7:00 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Camdenton, Missouri · 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
- N725M · registry record · serial 500726D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External-load flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the helicopter flight was to trim trees using an external load aerial power saw. The pilot stated that as he was trimming the trees, he saw a 6 to 8 inch piece of wood/tree flying upward on the left side of the helicopter. He stated he felt a momentary vibration as the wood contacted one of the main rotor blades, then everything returned to “normal.” The pilot made a precautionary landing in a nearby field without further incident. The damage to the main rotor blade was substantial and required replacement of the blade.
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
- External load event (Rotorcraft) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Ability to respond/compensate
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,590 hours in all; 3,136 in this make and model; 138 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 3,520 as pilot in command; 86 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 24, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,665 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 11, 2013; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aerial Solutions, Inc
The flight
- Departed from: Camdenton MO at 6:00 pm
- Destination: Camdenton MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from AIZ, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on June 26, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N725M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N725M on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Hughes 369 500 series helicopters 124 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Hughes 387 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20B 216 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Missouri 1,640 since 1982 · 219 in the last ten years
- Missouri 5,821 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N725M 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN13CA281.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.