Hughes 369D accident near Strawberry, Arizona, December 21, 2021
On December 21, 2021 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1980 Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N111AD, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Strawberry, Arizona (N/A airport). It was an aerial observation 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 pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a static wire during approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 2021 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Strawberry, Arizona · N/A · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D, built 1980 · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N111AD · registry record · serial 400704D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter pilot reported that, during an approach to an off-airport construction project landing zone, the helicopter struck a static wire that had been recently positioned above the landing area. The helicopter’s main rotor blades contacted the wire which resulted in substantial damage to the blades. The pilot was unaware of the static wire and did not observe it during the approach. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunction or failures of 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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,700 hours in all; 2,566 in this make and model; 225 in the last 90 days; 89 in the last 30 days; 6,650 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 5, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,480.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 2,703 hours total
- Operator: Southwest Helicservices LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Strawberry AZ at 5:15 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 am from KPAN, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KPAN 211655Z AUTO 06004KT 10SM CLR 09/M04 A3027 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 18, 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Pictures | PDF, 2 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.