# NTSB investigations: Hughes OH-6A NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports. ## Latest cases - [NTSB WPR25LA101](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA101.md): Hughes OH-6A · Santa Teresa, NM · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Feb 22, 2025 · N4191T · Substantial damage > The flight instructor's failure to maintain helicopter control during a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing and structural damage to the tail boom and subsequent failure of the tail rotor drive system. - [NTSB WPR21LA107](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21LA107.md): Hughes OH-6A · Horseshoe Bend, ID · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Feb 5, 2021 · N6639R · Substantial damage > A partial loss of engine power due to a leak in the fuel cell outlet valve. - [NTSB ERA20LA071](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20LA071.md): Hughes OH 6A · Preston, GA · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jan 8, 2020 · N6186U · Substantial damage > A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information. - [NTSB GAA17CA135](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA135.md): Hughes OH 6A · Price, UT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Feb 8, 2017 · N6640Z · Substantial damage > The fuel truck driver’s failure to stop before impacting the helicopter’s main rotor blades. - [NTSB CEN13FA205](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13FA205.md): Hughes OH-6A · Caddo, TX · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Mar 26, 2013 · N910WC · Substantial damage > The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter during landing. - [NTSB ERA13GA046](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13GA046.md): Hughes OH-6A · Atlanta, GA · Accident · 2 fatal · Final report · Nov 4, 2012 · N368PD · Substantial damage > The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient altitude during maneuvering flight, which resulted in his failure to see and avoid a power pole and wires. - [NTSB ERA13LA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13LA022.md): Hughes/Helicopter Assocs 369A · West Chester, PA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Oct 13, 2012 · N546 · 2 aircraft · Substantial damage > The pilot’s failure to see and avoid the preceding helicopter while maneuvering for landing. Contributing to the accident were the flight lead pilot’s inadequate preflight briefing and in-flight instruction to the formation pilots, which resulted in the loss… - [NTSB WPR09TA277](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09TA277.md): Hughes OH-6A · Benson, AZ · Accident · No injuries · Final report · Jun 4, 2009 · N6641D · Substantial damage > The pilot under instruction's inadequate autorotation technique and the instructor pilot’s delayed remedial action to arrest the rate of descent of the helicopter while in an autorotation flare. - [NTSB DFW08TA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW08TA066.md): Hughes OH-6 · Valentine, TX · Accident · Minor injuries · Final report · Feb 8, 2008 · N66372 · Substantial damage > The contract mechanic's failure to properly secure the castellated nut that attached the governor lever control rod to the idler bell crank. Contributing to the accident was the lack of maintenance oversight by the operator. - [NTSB LAX05TA018](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05TA018.md): Hughes OH-6A · Tucson, AZ · Accident · Serious injuries · Final report · Oct 25, 2004 · N6188L · Destroyed > The loss of engine power due to a fatigue fracture of the PC line from the governor to fuel control, resulting from fretting damage induced by excessive vibration, which was due to the failure of maintenance personnel to install the proper bearings in the… - [NTSB LAX05TA008](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05TA008.md): Hughes OH-6A · Jacumba, CA · Accident · No injuries · Final report · Oct 15, 2004 · N6639R · Substantial damage > the pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the mountainous terrain, which resulted in the helicopter's tail rotor blades impacting rocks. A factor in the accident was the pilot's complacency. - [NTSB ATL04LA037](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL04LA037.md): Hughes OH-6A · Greenville, SC · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Nov 15, 2003 · N536 · Substantial damage > The pilot's improper landing flare, resulting in a hard landing and a main rotor/tailboom strike. - [NTSB FTW04TA012](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW04TA012.md): Hughes OH-6A · Eagle Pass, TX · Accident · Minor injuries · Final report · Oct 7, 2003 · N8524Z · Substantial damage > The failure of the aft segment of the tail rotor drive shaft for undertermined reasons. A contibuting factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the foced landing. - [NTSB LAX03TA150](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX03TA150.md): Hughes OH 6A · Pan Tak, AZ · Accident · Serious injuries · Final report · May 12, 2003 · N6636H · Destroyed > The pilot in command's failure to adequately secure loose cargo (a jacket), which resulted in the jacket colliding with the tail rotor during cruise flight, and the subsequent separation of the tail rotor and loss of flight control. A factor associated with… - [NTSB MIA02LA029](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA02LA029.md): Hughes OH-6A · Hernando, MS · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Nov 25, 2001 · N129BC · Substantial damage > The flight instructor's improper supervision of the dual student during a practice autorotation landing by allowing an excessive aft pitch attitude and low main rotor rpm conditions to develop during the landing/flare touchdown, which resulted in the… - [NTSB LAX00TA163](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00TA163.md): Hughes OH-6A · Green Valley, AZ · Accident · Minor injuries · Final report · Apr 20, 2000 · N61869 · Substantial damage > Company maintenance personnel's failure to secure an attachment nut to a control link. While maneuvering, the parts separated and resulted in the total cyclic control system failure and impact into rough terrain. - [NTSB FTW00TA116](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW00TA116.md): Hughes OH-6A · El Paso, TX · Accident · Minor injuries · Final report · Apr 13, 2000 · N6187Y · Substantial damage > The failure of the pilot to maintain rotor rpm during an autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing. A factor was the partial loss of engine power resulting from the separation of the power control line due to fatigue, as a consequence of improper… - [NTSB MIA00GA057](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA00GA057.md): Hughes OH-6A · Fort Myers, FL · Accident · Serious injuries · Final report · Dec 20, 1999 · N72LC · Substantial damage > improper maintenance inspection of the helicopter by unknown maintenance personnel, resulting in a worn control rod bearing being continued in service, and subsequent separation, resulting in an in-flight loss of control and a crash. - [NTSB MIA99TA206](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99TA206.md): Hughes OH-6A · Aguadilla, PR · Accident · No injuries · Final report · Jul 29, 1999 · N66377 · Substantial damage > An unidentified foreign object passing through the oil cooler blower assembly resulting in fracture and seizure of the oil cooler blower, and slowing of the main transmission and main rotor, which resulted in the pilot being unable to arrest the descent… - [NTSB LAX99GA216](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99GA216.md): Hughes OH-6A · Tucson, AZ · Accident · Serious injuries · Final report · Jun 15, 1999 · N6187C · Destroyed > Fuel exhaustion resulting from pilot's failure to perform adequate fuel consumption calculations. The unreliable and inoperative fuel level indicating system components and the operator's operation of the aircraft with known deficiencies were factors in the… - [NTSB FTW99GA061](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99GA061.md): Hughes OH-6A · Laredo, TX · Accident · Minor injuries · Final report · Dec 27, 1998 · N6638R · Substantial damage > The loss of engine power as result of the failure of the power turbine governor. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain available to the pilot for the forced landing. - [NTSB FTW97TA162](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97TA162.md): Hughes OH-6A · Marfa, TX · Accident · No injuries · Final report · Apr 15, 1997 · N6638P · Substantial damage > the pilot's improper touchdown, and the designated examiner's inadequate supervision. The light condition at dusk was a related factor. - [NTSB LAX96TA016](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX96TA016.md): Hughes OH-6A · Imperial, CA · Accident · No injuries · Final report · Oct 20, 1995 · N61865 · Substantial damage > The pilot's improper planning/decision and failure to ensure there was an adequate supply of fuel, which led to fuel exhaustion and a forced (autorotative) landing. - [NTSB MIA95TA188](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA95TA188.md): McDonnell Douglas H369 · Panama City, FL · Accident · No injuries · Final report · Jul 21, 1995 · N129BC · Substantial damage > The pilot-in-command's improper aft application of cyclic control during a simulated touchdown autorotation on landing flare touchdown, resulting in the main rotor blades colliding with the tail boom assembly. Contributing to the accident was the improper… - [NTSB LAX94T#A07](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX94T%23A07.md): McDonnell Douglas OH-6A · Ocotillo, CA · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Final report · Jun 26, 1994 · N5473X · Substantial damage - [NTSB FTW94T#A02](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW94T%23A02.md): Hughes OH-6A · Valentine, TX · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Final report · Jun 21, 1994 · N6636G · Destroyed - [NTSB LAX93T#A07](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX93T%23A07.md): Hughes OH-6A · San Diego, CA · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Final report · Sep 19, 1993 · N97BP · Destroyed - [NTSB FTW93T#A02](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW93T%23A02.md): Hughes OH-6A (BP) · Marfa, TX · Accident · No injuries · Final report · Dec 1, 1992 · N6638J · Substantial damage ## The whole list in SQL Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS: ```sql SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1 WHERE c."mKey" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('4470905')) ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC ``` This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb?model=4470905 --- 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.