- Date
- December 17, 1987, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Eldorado, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8945FHughes 269A-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871217070919A
- Case key
- 22601
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
While the pilot was attempting to land in a clearing, the main rotor blades contacted a tree causing the aircraft to descend uncontrolled for about 40 feet. The helicopter struck the ground in a nose low attitude causing damage to the skids, bubble, rotor blades, and tail boom.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8945F
- Reported as
- Hughes 269A-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 250030
- Airframe hours
- 1,895
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-BIA, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Sawyer Partner, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 1, 1987 · 35 hours before
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
- 44
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,082 total · 114 in this make and model · 7,905 as pilot in command · 107 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SJT
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 N8945F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.