Hughes 369D accident near Carlisle, Washington, November 24, 2015
On November 24, 2015 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N50713, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Carlisle, Washington. It was a positioning 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
A total loss of engine power during cruise flight due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the improper calibration of the fuel quantity gauge.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 24, 2015 · about 5:45 pm local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- Carlisle, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N50713 · registry record · serial 710982D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that, while relocating the helicopter to a staging area to refuel, the engine experienced a total loss of power. He initiated an autorotation to a partially-wooded area, where the helicopter touched down and rolled onto its right side. The pilot stated that, before the loss of engine power, he noticed that the fuel quantity indication was not decreasing as he would have expected. Postaccident examination revealed that the fuel quantity gauge indicated more fuel in the fuel tank than the amount that was physically present. This erroneous fuel level indication led the pilot to believe that more fuel was available than what was in the fuel tanks, and subsequently resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
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 engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Autorotation Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain)
- Roll over during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management other cases naming the fuel system
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel quantity indicator › Malfunction other cases naming the fuel system
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel quantity sensor › Malfunction other cases naming the fuel system
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,092 hours in all; 624 in this make and model; 183 in the last 90 days; 59 in the last 30 days; 1,008 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,942.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 13, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Olympic Air INC
The flight
- Departed from: Hoquiam WA at 5:25 pm
- Destination: Carlisle WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 5:25 pm from KHQM, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on April 5, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Wreckage Exam Summary Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Md Helicopters | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Boeing Helicopters | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N50713 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Hughes 369 500 series helicopters 124 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Hughes 387 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20B 216 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Washington 2,713 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Washington 10,664 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR16LA032.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.