Hughes 369D accident near Cherokee, Alabama, April 6, 2015
On April 6, 2015 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1977 Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N555JC, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Cherokee, Alabama. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's spatial disorientation during a low-level river crossing in rainy, gray, reduced visibility meteorological conditions, which resulted in the helicopter's subsequent descent and impact with the water. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to attempt the low-level crossing under those meteorological conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 2015 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cherokee, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D, built 1977 · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N555JC · registry record · serial 180256D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot of the helicopter positioning flight delayed the takeoff for inclement weather to pass. However, about 1/2 hour after taking off, the helicopter encountered rain, fog, and low-visibility, gray-lighting conditions. The helicopter approached a 1-mile wide river, landed briefly onshore, then took off again and began a low-altitude crossing while paralleling a bridge. The helicopter was observed at an estimated 25 feet above the river before it began descending at a 10- to 15-degree angle into the water about mid-way through the crossing. It impacted the water nose-low, left side down, at a sufficient speed for the witness to see the tail "kick over" the main rotor blades and snap off. There were no onboard recording devices to confirm what occurred. No preexisting anomalies were found with the helicopter, and no medical issues were identified that would have affected the pilot's performance. The reason that the pilot landed before crossing the river could not be determined. Although the pilot's attention could have been momentarily diverted, it was more likely that the rainy, gray, reduced-visibility conditions resulted in low altitude spatial disorientation.
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
- Loss of visual reference during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Altitude deviation during enroute (cruise)
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute (cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Spatial disorientation › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,884 hours in all; 2,079 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 5,259 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 27, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,813 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 23, 2015; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 13,181 hours total
- Operator: Haverfield International INC
The flight
- Departed from: CRX Corinth MS at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 4A6 Scottsboro AL
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 6:18 pm from MSL, 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.