- Date
- May 7, 2026, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Durango, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N926ESHughes 369HS
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 17, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20260507006649A
- Case key
- 202951
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the pilot receiving the instruction and the pilot’s improper recovery from a practice autorotation in shifting wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
While conducting an instructional flight, the flight instructor reported that the pilot receiving instruction was performing practice autorotations in the helicopter. He stated that wind conditions were light and variable. During the accident practice straight-in autorotation, the pilot receiving instruction stated that he overshot the intended landing point and began slowing the helicopter. As the helicopter slowed to about 30 knots, he then lowered the nose to regain airspeed. He reported that the rotor RPM was on the low side of the green arc and that the airspeed was about 60 knots. During the flare, about 10 ft, both the pilot and flight instructor simultaneously raised the collective in attempt to cushion the landing. However, the helicopter continued to sink and landed hard. The skids collapsed and the helicopter slid about 100 ft before it came to rest upright on the taxiway. The helicopter’s tail boom and one of the main rotor blades separated during the accident sequence. Both the instructor and pilot stated that the wind had shifted opposite to the direction the windsock was indicating at the time of the accident. Wind recorded at the time of the accident was light and variable at 4 knots. The flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N926ES
- Reported as
- Hughes 369HS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 940641S
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 6,581.6
- Engine
- Allison 250 SER 400HP, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Colorado Highland Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Royal Helicopter Services LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2026
- Departed
- 00C · Durango, CO
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- DRO · Durango-La Plata County
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- Unknown
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2025
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 10,634 total · 9,006.8 in this make and model · 10,577 as pilot in command · 63.7 in the last 90 days · 8.9 in the last 30 days · 3.2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 9, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 453 total · 140 in this make and model · 368 as pilot in command · 96 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KDRO, 1 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KDRO 071753Z AUTO VRB04KT 10SM CLR 14/M10 A3018 RMK AO2 SLP193 T01391100 10144 21061 58015
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.