N609RP is a 1997 Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 600N. It is a rotorcraft with 6 seats, powered by a Allison 250-C47 rated at 600 horsepower. The registration is active, with the registrant based in Orlando, FL. Its standard airworthiness certificate was issued in Aug 1998. It has been registered to its current owner since May 2013. This page also carries 1 NTSB event.
- 29 years old
- Only 21 Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 600N here
2013
1998
That's everything on file so far — TailWiki checks the FAA registry daily and adds new entries as N609RP's record changes.
On July 16, 2024, at 0055 central daylight time, a McDonnell Douglas Helicopter 600N, N609RP, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Eagle Lake, Texas. The commercial pilot was uninjured, one passenger received serious injuries, and four passengers received minor injuries. The helicopter was operated as a public use flight for law enforcement training.
The operator was providing flight services for law enforcement training at the time of the accident. The pilot, who was employed by the operator, stated that during the last flight of the evening, he flew the helicopter at an altitude of about 60 ft above ground level and at a speed of about 20 kts. He said that during the flight, he heard a bang, and the helicopter exhibited low rotor rpm and a partial loss of engine power. The pilot performed an autorotation, during which the helicopter was destroyed due to impact with terrain. The helicopter sustained damage to the fuselage, main rotor, and tailboom.
The McDonnell Douglas Helicopter 600N has left and right fuel cells equipped with a baffle that separated the forward and aft portions of each fuel cell. The baffles are several inches in height but do not extend to the top of their respective fuel cells. Each baffle has a one-way flapper valve that allows fuel to flow from the forward portion to the aft portion of the fuel cell. Fuel is drawn from the left aft fuel cell. A start pump/boost pump is installed in the aft portion of the left fuel cell, which is also used in emergency procedures. Cross-feed tubes, a scavenge line, and a one-way flapper valve are installed to ensure the aft portion of the left fuel cell is continuously full of fuel so it can be supplied to the engine through suction for the engine-driven fuel pump.
During recovery of the helicopter from the accident site, the only fuel recovered was about 19.5 gallons of fuel from the aft portion of the left fuel cell. Postaccident examination of the helicopter’s fuel system revealed that the that the installation drew fuel from the forward portion of the left fuel cell, rather than the rear portion. The fuel start/boost pump was not present and the electrical wires leading to the fuel start/boost pump had been cut and its loose ends were zip-tied.
A download of recorded engine data was performed, followed by an examination of the engine and engine accessories. Engine control unit (ECU) data showed the ECU commanding the fuel metering valve to full open in response to declining main rotor speed. ECU data showed a reduced fuel flow to the engine until the helicopter impacted terrain.
The pilot held a mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings and held inspection authorization. A review of maintenance logbook entries showed that the most recent maintenance of the helicopter’s fuel system was performed by the pilot and was dated July 10, 2024, for the installation of forward and aft fuel probes. The helicopter’s Illustrated Parts Catalog shows that the fuel probes are in the forward and aft portions of the left fuel tank.
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