MD Helicopter INC 369D accident near Luling, Louisiana, May 20, 2018
On May 20, 2018 at about 3:49 pm local time, a 1980 MD Helicopter INC 369D, registered N362JS, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Luling, Louisiana. It was an external-load flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 1 person was killed, 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the powerline structure while hovering, which resulted in an inadvertent collision with the structure and an uncontrolled descent into terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 20, 2018 · about 3:49 pm local time
- Place
- Luling, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed, 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- MD Helicopter INC 369D, built 1980
- Registration
- N362JS · no longer on the register · serial 300676D
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- External-load flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot and two crewmembers of the helicopter were performing external load operations to repair high-tension power line structures. The pilot reported that, during the fourth repair of the flight, he was hovering the helicopter next to the power line structure when he noticed a "rumbling" and the helicopter descending. The helicopter impacted the ground beneath the structure, seriously injuring one of the two crewmembers, while the second crewmember sustained fatal injuries. Examination of the helicopter revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The power line structure displayed paint transfer consistent in color with that of the helicopter. There was also a puncture hole about 6 inches in length under the upper horizontal plate of the structure, consistent with the dimensions of a main rotor blade. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot failed to maintain clearance from the power line structure while hovering, resulting in contact with the structure.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (hover) defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering (hover)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering (hover)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Awareness of condition
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 102 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 15, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,963.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 4, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 17,963 hours total
- Operator: Air2, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: APS Reserve LA at 3:36 pm
- Destination: Luling LA
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from APS, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
11 documents, released by the NTSB on March 17, 2020. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Statement of Operator's Director of Maintenance by FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Crewmember Statement - Chance Mills | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Witness Statement - Val Harmon | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Record of Examination | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Accident Site Photos | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 8 | FAA Toxicology - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | FAA Toxicology - Crewmember | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Wreckage Release | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.