Hughes 369D accident near Belleville, West Virginia, March 18, 2024
On March 18, 2024 at about 5:20 pm local time, a 1980 Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N102SU, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Belleville, West Virginia. It was an external-load flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The ingestion of foreign object debris into the engine, which resulted in a sudden loss of engine power and a subsequent collision with trees and terrain during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 2024 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Belleville, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D, built 1980 · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N102SU · registry record · serial 700736D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External-load flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting low-altitude, external-load tree-trimming operations when he heard a loud “boom,” and the helicopter entered a rapid descent. He maneuvered toward smaller trees to minimize the impact and briefly lowered the collective to preserve rotor rpm before raising it just before ground contact. The helicopter contacted trees and branches during the descent, becoming inverted after impacting the ground. The tail boom separated from the fuselage, and the main rotor blades were severely damaged and scattered throughout the area, as were various rotor head components. Postaccident examination of the drivetrain, clutch, and associated components revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical failure or malfunction. Examination of the engine revealed severe damage to the compressor inlet and rotor assembly, with multiple fractured blades from stages 1 through 5, consistent with pre-impact hard-body ingestion. Metallurgical analysis found no evidence of fatigue or manufacturing defects, and all other engine systems and components were free of pre-impact anomalies. Although the source of the ingested material could not be determined, the low-altitude operating environment near trees made it likely that debris from the trimming operation was ingested into the engine, resulting in a sudden loss of power.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Turbine section › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,770 hours in all; 4,560 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 8,470 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 27, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,449 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 25, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison M250C20B (turboshaft); 7,710 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I18 Millwood WV at 11:46 am
- Destination: LZ Belleville WV
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 15 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast; clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 7:30 am from PKB, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on March 12, 2026. 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 | Memorandum for Record - Pilot Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record - Witness Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Witness Statements | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Job Assignment and Fuel Log | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Airworthiness Examination Summary | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Maintenance Logbook Excerpts | PDF, 21 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA24LA148.