Accident Details
On April 5, 2009, at 1200 Coordinated Universal Time, a Hughes 369HS helicopter, registration N2058X, operated by HUSA Inc., landed hard on the deck of a fishing vessel in international waters of the Pacific Ocean following a loss of control during takeoff. The helicopter was conducting a local fish spotting flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The Venezuelan certificated commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The helicopter sustained substantial damage.
Sequence of Events
According to a representative of the operator, who reported the accident to the National Transportation Safety Board on May 13, 2009, the helicopter was taking off from the deck when the tail rotor contacted an object on the deck. The pilot reported that during the takeoff, the helicopter made a "violent movement to the right." He attempted to compensate by applying left pedal, but despite his control inputs, he was unable to regain control. The helicopter then landed hard on the deck, collapsing the left landing skid. Subsequently, the helicopter rolled over and came to rest on its left side on the deck of the fishing vessel.
Damage and Examination
Examination of the helicopter by the pilot revealed structural damage to the tail boom, tail rotor blades, tail rotor drive shaft, and main rotor blades. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter or its flight control systems. The weather conditions at the time as reported by the pilot were sky clear with a visibility of fifteen miles. The exact location of the vessel at the time of the accident was not specified, other than being in international waters of the Pacific Ocean.