Hughes 369E accident near Salem, Oregon, December 3, 1999
On December 3, 1999 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Hughes 369E (helicopter), registered N11KV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salem, Oregon. It was an other work-use flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the pilot to maintain ground clearance, resulting in the long-line snagging and then striking the tail rotor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 3, 1999 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Salem, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369E · all 369Es on the register
- Registration
- N11KV · no longer on the register · serial 172E
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was operating with a 25 foot long-line at the time of the accident. The pilot was returning to pick up another load of Christmas trees, maneuvering at slow speed looking for the hooker, when he heard a loud bang and the aircraft began to spin rapidly. More bangs were heard from the rear of the aircraft as it continued to spin. The pilot rolled the throttle to idle, which did not arrest the spin. The aircraft then entered a nose-low attitude while spinning; the pilot could not get the nose up with full aft cyclic. Just prior to ground impact, the pilot rolled the throttle to full open, which brought the nose up to a near-level attitude. The helicopter impacted the ground level, but sliding to the left into a hillside. Terrain was described as small rolling hillsides with various fields of small to large Christmas trees. FAA inspectors found evidence of white paint transfer on the long-line cable, and also signatures consistent with cable marks on one of the two separated tail rotor blades. Witnesses noted that ground fog was forming in the area at the time of the accident.
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
- Flight time: 13,200 hours in all; 3,500 in this make and model; 173 in the last 90 days; 173 in the last 30 days; 13,050 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,995 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 22, 1999; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pathfinder Helicopter INC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.