- Date
- May 28, 1986, 21:05 local (May 29, 1986, 01:05 UTC)
- Place
- Daniels, WV
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8889FHughes 269A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report March 25, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860528019919A
- Case key
- 7109
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt stated that he noted a 'large vibration' after he had taken off. He suspected a psbl bird strike or bearing failure, & subsequently, the helicopter crashed into trees. According to the plt, the eng did not fail; however, witnesses saw the helicopter flying at low alt bfr it crashed & they thought the eng was losing power. Aprx 1-1/2 qts of fuel was found in the fuel tank. No evidence of a fuel leak or spill was found. A number of maintenance discrepancieswere noted, but no preimpact part failure or malfunction was verified. A check of the plt's blood showed an alcohol lvl of 0.14%.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8889F
- Reported as
- Hughes 269A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 264
- Airframe hours
- 1,300
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Public Electric Company, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 3, 1985 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- Daniels, WV
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 124 total · 124 in this make and model · 81 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8889F · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.