Hudson, WI, USA
N5335U
HUGHES TH 55A
The passenger reported that the airline transport pilot, who was not helicopter-rated, took off in the helicopter with the intention of conducting a cross-country flight. Shortly after takeoff, the engine lost power, and the helicopter then descended into trees. The helicopter was subsequently moved back to the owner's repair station, and the wreckage was later discovered during routine surveillance of the station by the Federal Aviation Administration; the engine was not examined. The pilot did not report the accident and stated that there was no intent for flight when the helicopter was damaged.
On June 10, 2014, at an unknown time, a Hughes TH-55A, N5335U, sustained substantial damage during an off airport forced landing after a reported loss of engine power shortly after takeoff from a parking lot in Hudson, Wisconsin. The non-rotorcraft rated airline transport pilot and passenger received minor injuries. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The helicopter was registered to Aviation Consultant Expert Solutions LLC and operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident with the intended destination of Lake Elmo, Minnesota. During a routine surveillance of a Part 145 repair station in Sioux City, Iowa, on October 27, 2015, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors noticed some disassembled helicopter wreckage including rotor blades at the facility. The FAA inspectors were told that one of the repair station owners was involved in an accident with the helicopter in Hudson, Wisconsin, in June 2014. The pilot did not report the accident to the NTSB when it occurred. The pilot was contacted by NTSB and he reported that there was no intent for flight when the helicopter was damaged. The passenger who was on board at the time reported in an email that they took off from the JetPubs parking lot in Hudson, Wisconsin, with the intention of flying to Lake Elmo, Minnesota. Shortly after takeoff, the helicopter engine lost power and the helicopter descended contacting trees prior to impacting the ground. The pilot contacted his business partner stating that he crashed the helicopter and he needed help in moving it back to Iowa. The business partner stated he went to Wisconsin and the pilot already had the helicopter on a trailer. He stated the pilot showed him the wooded area on the west side of JetPubs where the accident occurred. The pilot's flight instructor reported to the FAA that the pilot had about 35 hours of rotorcraft flight training and he was not endorsed for solo flight. The engine was not examined following the accident.
The nonhelicopter-rated pilot’s operation of the helicopter and its subsequent collision with trees during takeoff for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
