- Date
- May 23, 1990, 11:10 local (18:10 UTC)
- Place
- Rialto, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7441FHughes 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900523017159A
- Case key
- 26813
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
Improper maintenance procedure by maintenance personnel to troubleshoot a reported deficiency and the pilot's decision to demonstrate the vibration, exceeding the design limits of the helicopter and inducing ground resonance. Contributing to the accident was the low nitrogen charge of the landing gear dampers.
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 helicopter encountered ground resonance during a maintenance test flight. The CFI noticed an unusual vibration during student training. The pilot suspended the training and informed maintenance. The pilot then attempted to duplicate the vibration for one of the maintenance mechanics. After two unsuccessful attempts, the pilot landed the helicopter on a slight slope. After one skid touched down, the helicopter began to vibrate. The pilot reduced the throttle and the vibration became more severe. According to the pilot, the helicopter began to disintegrate.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7441F
- Reported as
- Hughes 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 460487
- Airframe hours
- 2,366
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-D1A, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- California Aviation Research
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 22, 1990 · 87 hours before
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- L67 · Rialto
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,200 total · 184 in this make and model · 5,873 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.