# Incident 20260717012439I: Hughes 269A, Arlington, WA, July 17, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 17, 2026, 19:00 local time
- Place: Arlington, WA
- Airport: Arlington Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Run-Up Area
- Location: 48.1608° N, 122.1590° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at ARLINGTON MUNI (AWO), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.1608&lon=-122.1590&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8746F, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8746F) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hughes 269A (registry code 4470402, https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-269a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HUGHES 269A
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260717012439I

## Narrative

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

THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE TIME INCLUDED GOOD VISIBILITY AND WINDS FROM THE SOUTH AT 7 TO10 MPH. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED BETWEEN HANGARS ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE ARLINGTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KAWO) WHILE CONDUCTING A MAINTENANCE GROUND RUN-UP AND LEAK CHECK; THERE WAS NO INTENT TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT DURING THIS OPERATION, IT WAS FOR MAINTENANCE PURPOSES ONLY.

DURING THE OPERATION, CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED A NOTICEABLE OUT-OF-BALANCE CONDITION AND AN EXTREMELY LARGE SPLIT IN THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE TRACK THAT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO GO INTO GROUND RESONANCE. THE MECHANIC/PILOT PICKED THE HELICOPTER INTO A HOVER TO MITIGATE THE AMOUNT OF FREQUENCY RUNNING THROUGH THE AIRCRAFT. ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO SET THE AIRCRAFT BACK DOWN, IT WENT INTO GROUND RESONANCE IMMEDIATELY. THE MECHANIC/PILOT THEN DECIDED TO HOVER TAXI THE AIRCRAFT TO GET THE ROTOR SYSTEM TO RESET ITSELF AND THEN ATTEMPTED TO SET THE HELICOPTER DOWN AT THE END OF THE TAXI-WAY WITH SUCCESS. THIS LED THE MECHANIC/PILOT TO BELIEVE THAT THE ROTARY FRICTION DAMPERS NEEDED TO BE EXERCISED AND THAT, ALONG WITH THE TRACK AND BALANCE. THE MECHANIC/PILOT THEN PICKED THE HELICOPTER INTO A HOVER AND TAXIED BACK TO THE HANGARS. THE MECHANIC/PILOT SET THE AIRCRAFT COMPLETELY ON THE GROUND WITH NO GROUND RESONANCE, BUT AS MECHANIC/PILOT DECREASED THROTTLE, THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO GO INTO GROUND RESONANCE AND DESTROY ITSELF. THE MAIN ROTOR MAST DETACHED, AND THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME, ROTOR BLADES, AND LANDING GEAR.

## Other reports on N8746F (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19790908043479A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790908043479A), Sep 8, 1979: Hughes 269A (N8746F), Ketchikan, AK, Substantial damage. Witness heard helicopter running at helipad. Then silence. Found helicopter in 120 ft water near pad. Pilot drowned

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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