MD Helicopter INC 369FF accident near Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, July 24, 2015
On July 24, 2015 at about 1:45 pm local time, a 1999 MD Helicopter INC 369FF, registered N5842Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to insufficient lubrication to the engine's No. 2 bearing, which resulted in the failure of the bearing and a subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 2015 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Vega Baja, Puerto Rico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- MD Helicopter INC 369FF, built 1999
- Registration
- N5842Z · registry record · serial 0137FF
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About 20 minutes into a flight, the helicopter's engine experienced a total loss of power while at an altitude of about 300 ft above ground level. The pilot then entered an autorotative descent, and during the landing attempt, the helicopter impacted an area of shallow water near a beach and the fuselage was substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 2 bearing had failed most likely as the result of a reduction in oil flow to the bearing. Examination of the tube that fed oil to the bearing revealed that it was unremarkable; however, its design had been superseded with an improved design for new helicopters several months before the accident. The newly designed tube was implemented to "decrease the bearing temperature and improve the bearing performance."
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 engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Compressor section › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Oil system › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,021 hours in all; 657 in this make and model; 163 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 5,671 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 28, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,961.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 12, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C30 (turboshaft); 4,961 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SJU San Juan PR at 1:30 pm
- Destination: ABO Arecibo PR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from TJSJ, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on October 16, 2020. 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 | Engine Oil Analysis Results | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Rolls-royce Engine Examination Report | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.