Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E accident near Monticello, Utah, December 6, 2013
On December 6, 2013 at about 4:45 pm local time, a 1997 Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E, registered N2066W, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Monticello, Utah. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The passenger's accidental discharge of the net gun which resulted in the net going through a main rotor blade.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 6, 2013 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Monticello, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E, built 1997 · all 369Es on the register
- Registration
- N2066W · no longer on the register · serial 0536E
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he took off and hovered about 100 feet above the ground when the net gun, which was held by the passenger, accidentally discharged. The helicopter started to vibrate; the pilot landed the helicopter uneventfully and shut it down. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed the net went through one of the main rotor blades and damaged the others. There were no reported preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Low altitude operation/event during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Passenger
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,050 hours in all; 700 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 SERIE (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
- Operator: Drangonfly Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Monticello UT
- Destination: Monticello UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 7°F (-14°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from CNY, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.