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| Date: | Tuesday 5 November 2024 |
| Time: | 14:00 LT |
| Type: |  Hughes 369D |
| Owner/operator: | Aviation Advantage LLC |
| Registration: | N11AS |
| MSN: | 790541D |
| Year of manufacture: | 1979 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 40678 hours |
| Engine model: | Rolls Royce 250-C20B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Waycross, GA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Waycross-Ware County Airport, GA (AYS/KAYS) |
| Waycross, GA | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot was conducting tree trimming operations on a power line right of way that consisted of a 10-blade aerial saw that was slung below the helicopter. During the cutting, a saw blade snagged a 1/2-inch cable that wrapped itself around the lower saw blades. A section of the cable broke off and struck the tail rotor assembly, damaging the stabilizers and tail rotor drive shaft. The helicopter lost all tail rotor authority and began an uncontrolled yaw, impacting the trees as it descended to the terrain where it came to rest on its left side. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the airframe and rotor blades. The operator did not report that there were any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: An encounter with a foreign object, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ERA25LA040
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 24 April 2007 | N11AS | Aerial Solutions Incorporated | 0 | Whiteville, North Carolina | |
sub |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-Nov-2024 15:46 | ASN | Added |
| 06-Nov-2024 15:50 | ASN | Updated [Departure airport, ] |
| 15-Nov-2024 20:00 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Nature, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Category, Accident report, ] |
| 25-Jan-2025 11:09 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Nature, Source, Narrative, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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