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20250812010109I

Incident · Substantial damage
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FAA incident report · Hughes 269C · Gettysburg, PA · August 12, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 12, 2025 · 13:00 local
Place
Gettysburg, PA
Airport
Gettysburg Airport
Phase of flight
Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N75054
Reported as
Hughes 269C
Reported engine
Lycoming HIO-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N75054Registration cancelled Dec 27, 2025 · Hughes 269CS/N S1283 · Built 1987Airframe modelHughes 269CEngine modelLycoming HIO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On August 12th, 2025, the airman was conducting a maintenance ground run in helicopter privacy data omitted at the Gettysburg Airport. The purpose of the run-up was to perform a magneto check and to confirm which of two hobbs meters were working correctly, no flight was planned. Using the manufactures check list the airman started to work through the steps referenced in the check list which brought him too the point where he started the engine. Once the engine temperatures were within required parameters, he began to increase the throttle to perform an engine mag check. At approximately 2100-2200 RPM, the aircraft experienced one light shake/hop the airman immediately rolled the throttle to idle and ensured that the collective was in the full down position. Within 5-8 seconds from first indication that there was an issue everything came to a complete stop.

There were no abnormal noises, vibrations, or unusual anomalies detected during the run-up. The helicopter went into ground resonance and self destructed.

As the FAA filed it

ON AUGUST 12TH, 2025, THE AIRMAN WAS CONDUCTING A MAINTENANCE GROUND RUN IN HELICOPTER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT THE GETTYSBURG AIRPORT. THE PURPOSE OF THE RUN-UP WAS TO PERFORM A MAGNETO CHECK AND TO CONFIRM WHICH OF TWO HOBBS METERS WERE WORKING CORRECTLY, NO FLIGHT WAS PLANNED. USING THE MANUFACTURES CHECK LIST THE AIRMAN STARTED TO WORK THROUGH THE STEPS REFERENCED IN THE CHECK LIST WHICH BROUGHT HIM TOO THE POINT WHERE HE STARTED THE ENGINE. ONCE THE ENGINE TEMPERATURES WERE WITHIN REQUIRED PARAMETERS, HE BEGAN TO INCREASE THE THROTTLE TO PERFORM AN ENGINE MAG CHECK. AT APPROXIMATELY 2100-2200 RPM, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED ONE LIGHT SHAKE/HOP THE AIRMAN IMMEDIATELY ROLLED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AND ENSURED THAT THE COLLECTIVE WAS IN THE FULL DOWN POSITION. WITHIN 5-8 SECONDS FROM FIRST INDICATION THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE EVERYTHING CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP.

THERE WERE NO ABNORMAL NOISES, VIBRATIONS, OR UNUSUAL ANOMALIES DETECTED DURING THE RUN-UP. THE HELICOPTER WENT INTO GROUND RESONANCE AND SELF DESTRUCTED.