Mcdonnell Douglas 369D accident near Mather, California, November 11, 1995
On November 11, 1995 at about 1:45 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas 369D (helicopter), registered N33CN, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mather, California (Sacramento Mather airport). It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel starvation due to the right seat safety pilot's inadvertent engine shutdown when he closed the throttle to simulate an engine failure, and his failure to perform the throttle rigging check before takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the improper rigging of the throttle system coupled with the pilot's improper recovery from the autorotation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 1995 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Mather, California · Sacramento Mather · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas 369D
- Registration
- N33CN · no longer on the register · serial 670150D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The left seat pilot was practicing night autorotations to runway 22 to maintain his currency. After the left seat pilot completed six hovering autorotations to the ground and eight autorotations to a power recovery, the right seat pilot snapped the right collective throttle to the ground idle position at 250 feet in a climb, to simulate a loss of engine power and announced 'power failure.' The left seat pilot initiated an autorotation; neither pilot was aware of an actual loss of power. When the left seat pilot applied throttle to initiate a power recovery, the engine's compressor stalled and the 'engine out' and 'auto re-ignite' lights illuminated. The left seat pilot continued with the autorotation, landed on runway 22 with the tail-first, broke the skids, and the aircraft rolled over. The investigation revealed that the right seat pilot did not perform the throttle rigging check before departing on the accident flight as recommended by the 369D pilot handbook. Several postaccident ground runs of the engine were conducted. Based upon those, it was determined that rapid roll off of the right seat throttle could retard the throttle below ground idle and flameout the engine. The throttle misrigging had not been detected by maintenance personnel.
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
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,109 hours in all; 993 in this make and model; 159 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 1,060 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,075 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 27, 1995; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MHR at 1:15 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 11,300 ft by 300 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.