MD Helicopters INC 369 accident near Loxahatchee, Florida, March 18, 2022
On March 18, 2022 at about 6:32 pm local time, a 1971 MD Helicopters INC 369, registered N650AG, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Loxahatchee, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines while maneuvering at low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 2022 · about 6:32 pm local time
- Place
- Loxahatchee, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- MD Helicopters INC 369 HM, built 1971 · all 369s on the register
- Registration
- N650AG · no longer on the register · serial 1090203M
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane ratings but did not possess a helicopter rating at the time of the accident. He did have a logbook endorsement for solo student flight with helicopters with the prohibition of carrying passengers. The passenger was a pilot-rated for single-engine land airplanes and did not have any helicopter experience. According to automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast data, the helicopter departed an airport and flew north over swampy, state land. The data further showed the helicopter flying at altitudes from 25 to 75 ft above ground level (agl) and at speeds between 83 to 100 knots before colliding with high-voltage power lines. The helicopter came to rest in a swampy field about 250 ft from the power lines. The power lines were measured at 80 ft agl. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines while maneuvering at low altitude.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FD08 Delary Beach FL at 5:58 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KPBI, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on September 20, 2023. 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 | ADS-B Flight Track | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 2 | ADS-B Raw Data | spreadsheet · our copy | Download |
| 3 | Pilot Logbook | PDF, 12 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 4 | Wreckage Examination | PDF, 5 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 5 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 9 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 6 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
| 8 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
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.