- Date
- March 22, 1989, 16:01 local (22:01 UTC)
- Place
- De Kalb, IL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8642FHughes 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890322004449A
- Case key
- 14247
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
Fatigue failure of the number four connecting rod which resulted in an engine failure. Factors in the accident were the broken ring in the number one piston and a deteriorated center main bearing.
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
While returning from a power line patrol the engine lost power and an autorotation was made into trees. The #4 connecting rod fractured through the bearing strap on one side and punctured a hole in the crankcase. Safety board metallurgical examination revealed fatigue beach markings on the majority of the fracture surface. Additional examination showed deterioration of the center main bearings and the failure of the top ring on the #1 piston. The ring failure had worn a groove in the piston almost through to the 2nd ring groove. Spark plugs were normal except for oil deposits on the #1 cylinder plugs. Pilot stated that he had added 3 qts of oil during refueling day of accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8642F
- Reported as
- Hughes 269C (269-C)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 614
- Airframe hours
- 4,023
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO360D1A, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Eagle Air Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 5, 1989 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- ARR · Aurora, IL
- Destination
- RFD · Rockford, IL
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,553 total · 1,400 in this make and model · 35 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ARR, 16 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.