Mcdonnell Douglas 369FF accident near Shoshone, Idaho, June 2, 1998
On June 2, 1998 at about 10:10 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas 369FF (helicopter), registered N16031, was substantially damaged in an accident near Shoshone, Idaho. It was an other work-use flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 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
Failure to maintain clearance from wires. A transmission wire was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 1998 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Shoshone, Idaho
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas 369FF
- Registration
- N16031 · no longer on the register · serial 52FF
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses reported that the helicopter had just released from positioning a fiber optic cable on top of a power pole. An external line is hung over the left landing skid, forward of the front leg, and a shoe is used to cradle the cable to lift and position it in place for permanent attachment. A lineman was on the pole and in the process of permanently attaching the cable to the pole when the pilot maneuvered the helicopter away and behind the lineman about five feet. Another lineman was standing on the left side landing skid and was then going to install vibration dampers on the cable. The lineman on the pole stated that everything was normal when he heard what sounded like a clicking sound or a sound like a card in a spoked wheel. The lineman on the pole stated that he knew that the helicopter was in the wires and saw pieces of the helicopter flying. The lineman ducked down on the pole, and when he looked up again, the helicopter had already gone through the transmission wires and was laying on its right side on the ground. Impact signatures of a cable strike were found on both tailrotor blades. The cable that the helicopter was positioned next to was severed. Further inspection of the severed cable noted that 19 of the 22 strands that make up the fiber optic cable received varying amounts of mechanical damage prior to failure. During the post-crash wreckage documentation and inspection, no evidence was found to indicate a mechanical failure or malfunction.
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: 5,646 hours in all; 907 in this make and model; 145 in the last 90 days; 108 in the last 30 days; 4,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,350 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 11, 1998; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C30 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GNG Gooding ID at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 18 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,900 ft; ovct at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from TWF, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.