Hughes 369HS accident near Pacific Ocean, PO, February 14, 2000
On February 14, 2000 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Hughes 369HS (helicopter), registered N717ST, was destroyed in an accident near Pacific Ocean, PO. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An unknown mechanical malfunction that resulted in a precautionary landing at sea and the subsequent sinking of the helicopter by an ocean swell.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 14, 2000 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pacific Ocean, PO
- 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
- N717ST · no longer on the register · serial 350717S
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On the third flight of the day, at 100 feet after takeoff from the fishing vessel, the pilot reported that he felt a grinding sensation from the cyclic control followed by a loud bang. After making the precautionary landing, the helicopter was struck by an ocean swell, rolled over, and subsequently sank. The pilot and observer were rescued uninjured from the water by the fishing vessel. It was noted that the foreign pilot did not possess a U.S. flight certificate.
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, foreign licence
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,470 hours in all; 365 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,221 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 6, 1999; 92 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C10 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.