Hughes 369 accident near Newark, Ohio, April 29, 2018
On April 29, 2018 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 1977 Hughes 369 (helicopter), registered N175JL, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Newark, Ohio. It was a business flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from transmission power wires, which resulted in a tail rotor strike.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 2018 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Newark, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369 D, built 1977 · all 369s on the register
- Registration
- N175JL · registry record · serial 270076D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The chief pilot reported that, while the pilot was working on transmission power wires, the pilot maneuvered the helicopter closer to the wires to give a better position for the other crewmember. He added that the pilot heard a noise and felt a vibration from the tail section. The pilot moved away from the wires, noticed no abnormality of flight, and returned to the landing zone without further incident. Postaccident examination revealed that the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor. The chief pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
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 (hover) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,540 hours in all; 3,760 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 119 in the last 30 days; 4,340 as pilot in command; 680 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 13, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,969.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 7, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Haverfield International INC
The flight
- Departed from: VTA Newark OH at 11:30 am
- Destination: Newark OH
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from KVTA, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 5, 2018. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.