Hughes 369HS accident near Conroe, Texas, April 19, 2003
On April 19, 2003 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Hughes 369HS (helicopter), registered N16Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Conroe, Texas. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inability to control the helicopter after encountering loss of tail rotor effectiveness. A contributing factor was the unfavorable winds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 2003 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Conroe, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369HS · all 369HSs on the register
- Registration
- N16Q · registry record · serial 1290227S
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and his passenger/observer were assisting local authorities during a search mission involving a boating incident on the lake. The pilot flew the helicopter 20-30 feet over the water on a north-south pass parallel to the shoreline. Based on the observers sighting in the water, the pilot turned the helicopter to the left (made a 180 degree turn), flew over the lake, and then inbound near the shoreline. While hovering out of ground effect on a west southwest direction, the helicopter encountered a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and entered a spin to the right, which the pilot was unable to arrest. The helicopter impacted the water, and came to rest on its left side. The weather observation facility reported the wind from 130 degrees at 9 knots. The main rotor system hub assembly and components and the tail rotor driveshaft exhibited damage consistent with sudden stoppage associated with fuselage/water/ground. Metallurgical examination revealed that the main rotor driveshaft and, the tail rotor driveshaft fractured in torsional overload. Examination of the helicopter did not reveal any discrepancies or anomalies that would have prevented operation of the helicopter prior to the impact.
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: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,236 hours in all; 195 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 2,087 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,330.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 6, 2002
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Montgomery TX at 4:00 pm
- Destination: Conroe TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from CXO, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 FTW03LA134.