Hughes 369 accident near Delia, Kansas, August 5, 2020
On August 5, 2020 at about 10:45 pm local time, a 1977 Hughes 369 (helicopter), registered N104SU, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Delia, Kansas. 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
Foreign object damage sustained to the main rotor blades due to aerial tree trimming.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2020 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Delia, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369 D, built 1977 · all 369s on the register
- Registration
- N104SU · registry record · serial 670151D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External-load flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While conducting an aerial tree-trimming flight with an external load aerial saw, the pilot heard a loud “thump” and felt a collision. A heavy vibration was felt, and the pilot landed in a nearby cornfield without further incident. Upon landing substantial damage was found to the main rotor blades with embedded pieces of tree bark and vegetation found in the blades. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions that contributed to the accident. The aerial saw was suspended about 120 ft below the helicopter. The operator noted that this distance is normally adequate to prevent foreign object damage (FOD) to the main rotor blades.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Main rotor system › Main rotor blade system › Damaged/degraded
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,260 hours in all; 3,230 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 5,160 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 10, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,856.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 9, 2020; 34.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 17,818 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Delia KS at 10:06 pm
- Destination: Delia KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KTOP, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 29, 2021. 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, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array | PDF, 1 page | 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.