# Accident 19960923029689A: Hughes 269C, Houston, TX, September 23, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 23, 1996, 22:47 local time
- Place: Houston, TX
- Airport: William P Hobby Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Pwr Off Run Land (Autorotation
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.6506° N, 95.2801° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.6506&lon=-95.2801&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7492F (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: HUGHES 269C
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 4,102 total, 165 in this make and model, 172 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW96TA398](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW96TA398) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960923029689A

## Narrative

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

PUBLIC AIRCRAFT DUAL FLIGHT. DURING AUTOROTATION DEMO RUN ON LANDING RIGHT SKID FAILED. EXCEEDED SKID WEAR LIMITS. (-23) ON SEPTEMBER 23, 1996, AT 2247 CDT, A HUGHES (HELICOPTER) 269C OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON POLICE DEPT., SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A 50-FOOT AUTO-ROTATION DEMONSTRATION WHEN THE RIGHT SKID FAILED DURING THE RUN-ON LANDING, CAUSING THE ROTOR BLADES TO STRIKE GROUND AND SUBSEQUENTLY SHEARING OFF TAIL ROTOR AND BOOM. MINOR INJURIES TO THE TWO OCCUPANTS.

## 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 FTW96TA398](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW96TA398), Sep 24, 1996: Hughes 269C (N7492F), Houston, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: company maintenance personnel not complying with maintenance procedures and directives to inspect the helicopter's skids, which allowed the right skid to wear beyond the manufacturer's tolerances.

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.

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