Hughes 369D accident near Lemont, Illinois, April 8, 2000
On April 8, 2000 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N5070J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lemont, Illinois. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A factor was the operation within the cross "hatched area" of the helicopter's height/velocity curve by the company.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2000 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lemont, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N5070J · registry record · serial 121096D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter impacted muddy terrain following an auto rotation while conducting power line maintenance. The autorotation was executed from a hover altitude of 100 feet agl. Review of the helicopter's height velocity diagram indicated that the operation was conducted within the "cross hatched" area. Operation within the "cross hatched" area may not allow enough time for the critical transition from powered flight to autorotation. Examination of the airframe, engine and related components revealed no anomalies.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,125 hours in all; 3,350 in this make and model; 175 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,244 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 16, 2000; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IL at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 341° at 16 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from DPA, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N5070J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI00FA110.