- Date
- December 8, 1984, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Boulevard, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8663FHughes 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19841208065889A
- Case key
- 24607
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
Plt was executing low level photographic survey of valleys in mountainous terrain. Acft entered a narrow valley with steeply rising terrain ahead. When plt realized excessive rate of climb would be required to clear obstacles, he attempted a steep turn-around while acft was climbing sharply. Rotor RPM decayed and the acft settled into trees and brush.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8663F
- Reported as
- Hughes 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1070640
- Airframe hours
- 2,685
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-D1A, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Flight Trails
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 29, 1984 · 39 hours before
- Departed
- Ramona, CA
- Destination
- CRQ · Carlsbad, CA
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 50 total · 50 in this make and model · 22 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Observed at
- CZZ, 17 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.