Hughes 369E accident near Jensen, Utah, November 21, 2006
On November 21, 2006 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Hughes 369E (helicopter), registered N500FU, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jensen, Utah. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the transmission wires due to an inadquate visual lookout while maneuvering during a search and rescue flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 21, 2006 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Jensen, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369E · all 369Es on the register
- Registration
- N500FU · 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
After arriving at the search and rescue site the pilot began to descend and slow the aircraft, then in the process of making two 360-degree orbits the helicopter impacted several strands of transmission wires. The aircraft subsequently descended uncontrolled, impacting the ground before sliding down sloping terrain and coming to rest partially submerged in the adjacent river. The pilot stated that he never saw the transmission wires and was not aware that they were in the area. The pilot also related that there were no anomalies with the helicopter prior to the flight. Weather at the time of the accident consisted of calm winds and clear skies.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,770 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 6,335 as pilot in command; 931 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,843.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VEL Vernal UT at 7:00 pm
- Destination: Jensen UT
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from VEL, 10 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N500FU the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.