Mcdonnell Douglas Heli CO 369 accident near Paducah, Texas, October 6, 2013
On October 6, 2013 at about 5:17 pm local time, a 1994 Mcdonnell Douglas Heli CO 369 (helicopter), registered N530KF, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Paducah, Texas. It was an external-load flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a power transmission line tower while maneuvering to pick up a rope in gusting wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 6, 2013 · about 5:17 pm local time
- Place
- Paducah, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas Heli CO 369 FF, built 1994 · all 369s on the register
- Registration
- N530KF · no longer on the register · serial 0097FF
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External-load flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was maneuvering the helicopter into position near a 150-foot-tall power transmission line tower to prepare to attach a line to a rope and pull it through a traveler for power line construction. The wind had increased and was gusting, and the main rotor blades struck the tower. The helicopter spun around, and the tail rotor subsequently struck the tower. The tail rotor and tail rotor gearbox separated from the helicopter as it descended to the ground. A postcrash fire consumed the wreckage. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the gusting wind conditions negatively affected the pilot's ability to maintain sufficient clearance from the tower while maneuvering into position.
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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (hover) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (hover)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › High wind › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tower/antenna (incl guy wires) › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,550 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,157 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 1, 2013; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce C30 (turboshaft); 9,179 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Rogers Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: Paducah TX
- Destination: Paducah TX
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 13 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KCDS, 31 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.
Other NTSB records under N530KF 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.