Mcdonnell Douglas Heli CO 369 accident near Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, June 16, 2018
On June 16, 2018 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1994 Mcdonnell Douglas Heli CO 369 (helicopter), registered N900FF, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. It was an external-load flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 main rotor clearance from a fiber line while picking up a lineman.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 2018 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Yabucoa, Puerto Rico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas Heli CO 369 FF, built 1994 · all 369s on the register
- Registration
- N900FF · registry record · serial 0100FF
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External-load flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the helicopter pilot, he dropped off a lineman on top of a power line tower to install fiber lines. The lineman completed the task and informed the pilot by radio that he was ready to be picked up from the tower. While picking up the lineman, the pilot hovered next to the tower and signaled to the lineman that he was ready for him to transfer from the tower to the helicopter’s left skid. When the lineman reached out to attach his lanyard to the helicopter, the pilot felt the main rotor blades strike a fiber line that the lineman had just installed. The helicopter became controllable, and the pilot conducted a precautionary landing without picking up the lineman. After the pilot discussed the event with the lineman, the lineman raised the fiber line to a higher position on the tower and then the pilot picked him up. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that the main rotor blades sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by assessing each approach and landing individually while looking for any possible new hazards or obstructions. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (hover) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on equipment
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 16,564 hours in all; 4,227 in this make and model; 172 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 15,358 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 31, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,509.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 8, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250C30 (turboshaft); 4,236 hours total
- Operator: Northwest Helicopters LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Palmas Del Mar PR at 8:00 pm
- Destination: Yabucoa PR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,800 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from TJNR, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on February 27, 2019. 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 | AS-INT-018 Checklist | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | 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.