# Accident 19890330005139A: Hughes 369D, Vallejo, CA, March 30, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 30, 1989, 17:25 local time
- Place: Vallejo, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Location: 38.0893° N, 122.2491° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.0893&lon=-122.2491&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5108E, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5108E) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hughes Helicopters HUGHES 369D (registry code 4470706, https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-helicopters-hughes-369d) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C20 series (registry code 03020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HUGHES 369D
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 5,017 total, 284 in this make and model, 187 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX89LA141](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX89LA141) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890330005139A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ENGINE QUIT ON CLIMBOUT AUTOROTATED TO A HARD LANDING. MAIN ROTORS CHOPPED TAIL. FUEL PRESSURE CONTROL TUBE CRACKED

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX89LA141](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX89LA141), Mar 31, 1989: Hughes 369D (N5108E), Vallejo, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: FATIGUE FAILURE OF A DEFECTIVE PC TUBE ASSEMBLY RESULTING IN A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.