MD Helicopter 369 accident near Newberg, Oregon, March 17, 2019
On March 17, 2019 at about 11:05 pm local time, a 1976 MD Helicopter 369, registered N119T, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Newberg, Oregon (Sportsman airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 2019 · about 11:05 pm local time
- Place
- Newberg, Oregon · Sportsman · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- MD Helicopter 369 HS, built 1976
- Registration
- N119T · registry record · serial 760844S
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and his passenger were enroute to an airport to refuel when the engine lost all power. The pilot performed a forced landing in an open field, during which the helicopter landed hard and rolled over. No fuel was found inside the helicopter’s fuel tank following the accident. During an engine test run, the engine started normally and operated through all power settings with no evidence of a mechanical anomaly. The helicopter was fueled to capacity about two weeks before the accident and, at the time of the accident, had flown a total of about 2 hours, 44 minutes since it was fueled. The pilot reported that the helicopter’s fuel consumption rate was between 14 and 16 gallons per hour (gph); however, the owner’s manual performance charts indicated a consumption of 21 gph, and during the postaccident test run, the engine consumed about 26 gph at approximate cruise power demands. At these fuel consumption rates, the helicopter’s fuel endurance with full fuel was between 2 hours, 35 minutes, and 2 hours, 54 minutes. It is likely that the pilot miscalculated the amount of fuel needed for the flight using incorrect fuel consumption rates, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent total loss of engine power.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during enroute (cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,154 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 1,061 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce C-18/T63-700 (turboshaft); 2,185 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Beaverton OR at 11:00 pm
- Destination: MMV Mcminnville OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from PDX, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on April 19, 2022. 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 and Passenger Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Miscellaneous Information | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Engine Test Run Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Memorandum for Record Fuel Capacity | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Owners Manual Excerpts | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Photos | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.