Hughes 369D accident near Mccormick, South Carolina, March 30, 2012
On March 30, 2012 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N868W, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Mccormick, South Carolina. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to use automotive fuel instead of the approved alternate fuel, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 2012 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mccormick, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N868W · registry record · serial 1000800D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was en route to his destination airport and had not obtained a weather briefing. A weather front came through, and the wind changed from a tailwind to a headwind, so he could not reach is destination and diverted to an alternate airport to refuel. However, he landed at the wrong airport, and that airport did not have any Jet A fuel. He observed an automotive gas station and flew to it and landed in the grass nearby, even though he did not know what the approved alternate fuel was for the turbine engine. He purchased 25 gallons of 87 octane automotive fuel and placed it in the helicopter’s fuel tank. According to the engine manufacturer, automotive fuel is not an approved fuel on the list. He started the engine and departed. He was about 150 to 200 feet above the ground when the engine lost power. The engine-out audio and low-rpm audio sounded. He lowered the collective pitch as much as possible to clear a power line and reach an open field. Once clear of the power line, he lowered the collective pitch to the full-down position. The helicopter touched down hard in a tail-low attitude. The nose pitched downward, the tail boom separated, and the helicopter slid forward and rolled over on its right side. No preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures were found 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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Aircraft servicing event during prior to flight
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Autorotation Hard landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid type
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,957 hours in all; 872 in this make and model; 225 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 8,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 19, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,804 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 22, 2012; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royc 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dah Aircraft LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Mccormick SC at 9:29 pm
- Destination: AIK Aiken SC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from GRD, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.