Hughes 369D accident near Forks, Washington, November 16, 1996
On November 16, 1996 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N5225C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Forks, Washington. It was an other work-use flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
fuel contamination, which resulted in loss of engine power. Factors relating to the accident included: improper servicing of the helicopter, and a lack of suitable terrain for an emergency landing due to the proximity of trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 16, 1996 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Forks, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N5225C · registry record · serial 590497D
- 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 lost engine power during an external load/logging operation, then it sustained substantial damage when it collided with trees during an emergency landing. Investigation revealed that fuel contamination disrupted the flow of fuel from the engine fuel nozzle(s). Test samples from the fuel supplier, storage tank, and the helicopter's fuel filter were provided by the operator to an independent laboratory. Testing showed that the fuel supplier's sample was free of contamination, but contamination was found in samples from the storage tank and the helicopter fuel filter.
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: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,610 hours in all; 5,825 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,667 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 9, 1996; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,550 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WA at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°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.
Other NTSB records under N5225C 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.