Hughes 369D accident near Woodruff, Utah, September 12, 1983
On September 12, 1983 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N8667F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Woodruff, Utah. It was a business flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 1983 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Woodruff, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N8667F · no longer on the register · serial 280
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING USED TO LIFT SEISMIC MATERIALS ON A 100 FT LONG LINE. AFTER LIFTING THE LOAD TO A HOVER AT ABOUT 10 TO 20 FT, THE PLT HEARD A LOUD 'BANG' WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE HELICOPTER BEGAN UNCONTROLLED SPINNING & CRASHED MOMENTS LATER. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES STOPPED ROTATING PRIOR TO THE HELICOPTER HITING THE GROUND. AN EXAM REVEALED THAT THE AFT TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT FLEXIBLE COUPLING, BENDIX PN; 369A5501, HAD FAILED. DUE TO DAMAGE OF THE FRACTURE SURFACE, THE MODE OF FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,800 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,551 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 24, 1983; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Woodruff UT at 6:00 am
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.