Hughes 369E accident near Grand Coulee, Washington, January 8, 2002
On January 8, 2002 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Hughes 369E (helicopter), registered N369ET, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Coulee, Washington. It was an other work-use 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
The net gunner's improper decision to fire the net gun at an angle that allowed the net to become entangled in the main rotor system. A factor was foreign object damage to the main rotor blades.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 2002 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Coulee, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369E · all 369Es on the register
- Registration
- N369ET · no longer on the register · serial 199E
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the crew was attempting to capture and collar a live deer with a net gun at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that the helicopter was not in position to fire at the deer when the gunner fired the net gun. The net became tangled in the main rotor blades, and the blades sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no prior mechanical malfunction or failure of the helicopter 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
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,780 hours in all; 2,284 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 2,449 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,535.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 4, 2001; 76.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Gifford WA at 9:30 pm
- Destination: WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°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.