On November 16, 1984, a Hughes 369D (registration N58256) was involved in an aviation accident near Kings Valley, OR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's decision to depart before the load drop was fully completed, which resulted in the aircraft striking the ground. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot attempted to fly away from a proposed load drop site before the sling release was complete. The aircraft struck the ground in a nose-low attitude while departing.
The pilot attempted to fly the aircraft away from the site of a proposed load drop before the operation was completed. FAA inspectors noted that the sling did not release properly. When the pilot tried to depart the area, the aircraft struck the ground in a nose-low attitude. The pilot had no specific recollection of the accident.
Contributing factors included the premature departure attempt and the failure of the sling to release as intended.
The pilot's decision to depart before the load drop was fully completed, which resulted in the aircraft striking the ground.