Hughes 369A accident near Perry, West Virginia, June 7, 2001
On June 7, 2001 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Hughes 369A (helicopter), registered N58963, was destroyed in an accident near Perry, West Virginia. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain terrain clearance. A contributing factor was mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2001 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Perry, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369A · all 369As on the register
- Registration
- N58963 · no longer on the register · serial 691211
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on a VFR cross-country flight in the helicopter without obtaining a weather briefing, or filing a flight plan. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed along the route of flight. Minutes before the accident, a retired U.S. Army aviator observed the helicopter flying along an obscured ridgeline, with the helicopter's main rotors disappearing into the clouds. The helicopter came to rest on a mountain approximately 3,200 feet high, a few miles from where the witness observed the helicopter. The wreckage was on the northwest side of the mountain, on a slope of about 40 degrees, at an elevation of 2,610 feet. The initial impact point was two trees side-by-side, about 10 feet apart, and perpendicular to the wreckage path. Facing the direction of travel, the tree on the right showed a deep slash mark on the approach side of the tree, and a sharp, angular cut tree trunk remained from the tree on the left. A corresponding, angular cut tree trunk with the top branches attached rested below the tree on the left. Examination of the wreckage revealed no mechanical anomalies. The helicopter was not configured for instrument flight, and according to the Owner's Manual, instrument flight was prohibited.
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: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,441 hours in all; 129 in this make and model; 137 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 2,441 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 26, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,028 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 30, 2001; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison C18 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CXY Harrisburg PA at 1:38 pm
- Destination: TRI Bristol TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 2.5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 600 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 2:40 pm from OKV, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.