Hughes 369D accident near Canadian, Texas, March 2, 2001
On March 2, 2001 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N8356F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Canadian, Texas. It was a business 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
the helicopter's encounter with loss of tail rotor effectiveness while hovering out-of-ground effect, and the pilot's failure to maintain control. A contributing factor was the soft terrain condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 2001 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Canadian, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N8356F · registry record · serial 1260063D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot made an approach to a high hover due to the rough/uneven terrain. As the pilot was hovering the helicopter to a level area at 40 feet agl, the helicopter began to yaw to the right. The pilot stated that he hover taxied through his "rotor wash," and the helicopter encountered "loss of tail rotor effectiveness." The pilot increased collective in an attempt to takeoff, and the helicopter made "two quick revolutions." The pilot stated that he elected to land the helicopter instead of continuing with the takeoff due to power lines and rising terrain. The pilot initiated an autorotation, and the helicopter touched down on the soft ground while still rotating, collapsing the left landing skid. Subsequently, the tail rotor and main rotor blades struck the ground. The helicopter came to rest leaning toward its left side.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 8,800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 3, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,600 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 3, 2000; 31.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Amarillo TX at 8:15 pm
- Destination: NONE Canadian TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N8356F the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.