Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E accident near Arcola, Texas, September 7, 2023
On September 7, 2023 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1991 Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E, registered N8372F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arcola, Texas (Houston Southwest airport). It was an other work-use flight 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 instructor’s failure to re-apply engine power during a power recovery after a practice autorotation which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 2023 · about 5:00 pm local time · cases in 2023
- Place
- Arcola, Texas · Houston Southwest · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E, built 1991 · all 369Es on the register
- Registration
- N8372F · registry record · serial 0488E
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an evaluation flight with a company pilot, the instructor pilot reported that he failed to re-apply engine power prior to the completion of a practice autorotation with a power recovery. During the maneuver, the instructor’s attention was diverted from reapplying engine power by an airplane holding short of the runway near their planned touchdown point. The helicopter subsequently landed hard on the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the tail boom. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions of failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Autorotation Hard landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Powerplant parameters › Incorrect use/operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,115 hours in all; 2,525 in this make and model; 87 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 4,068 as pilot in command; 757 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 27, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,197 hours in all; 990 in this make and model; 87 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days; 1,155 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 25, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,500 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 27, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 1,337 hours total
- Operator: City of Houston Police Department
The flight
- Departed from: AXH Arcola TX at 4:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,002 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 12:15 pm from KAXH
Weather report (METAR): KAXH 071715Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 35/23 A2997 RMK AO2 T03540227
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 9, 2023. 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 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | 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 N8372F 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
- N8372F on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369 83 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 135 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20B 216 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Houston/Southwest Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,063 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,976 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N8372F 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/CEN23LA404.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.