Hughes 369D accident near Marion, South Carolina, October 30, 2015
On October 30, 2015 at about 3:58 pm local time, a 1979 Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N920JP, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Marion, South Carolina. It was an external-load flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A momentary jam in the tail rotor control system from an undetermined source, resulting in a torsional fracture of the tail rotor control torque tube and a loss of helicopter control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 2015 · about 3:58 pm local time
- Place
- Marion, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D, built 1979 · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N920JP · registry record · serial 290449D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External-load flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot of the helicopter was trimming trees on a power line right-of-way when the externally-mounted saw blades jammed. He climbed the helicopter out of the area and elected to return to the landing zone (LZ) to have the saw blades cleared. As he began a forward transition directly to the LZ, the helicopter yawed to the right. He initially corrected the situation with left pedal inputs. While maintaining a heading into the wind, he felt a "thump" and heard a "pop" sound, and the helicopter began to spin to the right out of control. The engine continued to run throughout the event. The helicopter settled into trees as the pilot attempted to cushion the landing with collective control inputs. The helicopter subsequently impacted the ground. An examination of the wreckage revealed a spiral fracture in the tail rotor control torque tube that connected the left and right seat pedals. Metallurgical examination of the torque tube revealed that it failed in overload due to torsional stresses. A design review by the helicopter manufacturer's engineering department revealed that the torque tube met all airworthiness standards and design criteria. It was apparent that, based on the pilot's comments and the fracture characteristics of the torque tube, it fractured in flight, immediately before the loss of helicopter control. Although no airframe or foreign obstructions were found in the tail rotor control system, it is possible that a momentary jam existed, though the source could not be determined despite a thorough examination of the wreckage. Although the tail rotor pitch control was replaced about 25 hours of time in service before the accident, and a tail rotor control rigging check was required at that time, aircraft damage prevented an evaluation of the tail rotor control rigging condition at the time of the accident.
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › (general) › Malfunction
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 191 hours in all; 84 in this make and model; 17 in the last 30 days; 147 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 11, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,932 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 14, 2015; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 19,763 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Rotor Blade LLC
The flight
- Departed from: MAO Mullins SC at 3:30 pm
- Destination: MAO Mullins SC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from MAO, 5 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.