MD Helicopters INC 369FF accident near Mesa, Arizona, May 5, 2021
On May 5, 2021 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 2017 MD Helicopters INC 369FF, registered N6068S, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Mesa, Arizona (Falcon Fld airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A tail rotor blade strike to an undetermined object while practicing approaches to unimproved terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 5, 2021 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mesa, Arizona · Falcon Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- MD Helicopters INC 369FF, built 2017 · all 369FFs on the register
- Registration
- N6068S · no longer on the register · serial 0268FF
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that, he performed a preflight inspection with the pilot receiving instruction and did not observe any damage to the tail rotor blades before the accident flight. They subsequently departed to a nearby training area and completed several terrain flight approaches to a sandy wash area using standard approach profiles. After one hour of flight and about 15 approaches they returned to their departure airport. While performing a post-flight inspection, the flight instructor and the pilot both observed substantial damage to the tail rotor blades. According to the flight instructor, at no point during the flight did they feel any unusual vibrations with the helicopter, nor did they observe any debris within the landing area. The flight instructor reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Simulated/training event during approach defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during approach
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,188 hours in all; 790 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days; 8,693 as pilot in command; 5,366 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 15, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: foreign licence
- Flight time: 900 hours in all; 7 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 40.6 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 23, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 3,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C30 (turboshaft); 43 hours total
- Operator: MD Helicopters INC
The flight
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 am from KFFZ
Weather report (METAR): KFFZ 051554Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 27/M03 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP128 T02721028
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR21LA183.