- Date
- May 26, 1991, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Palm Springs, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7033HHughes 269A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910526017459A
- Case key
- 27215
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
Lack of total experience by the unqualified person at the controls; improper use of rotorcraft flight controls by an unqualified person. A factor in the accident was the fence.
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
In his written statement, the pilot said that he was hovering the helicopter, but due to the wind, he lost control. The winds at the time of the accident were reported by the Palm Springs regional airport control tower to be from 340 degrees at 10 miles per hour. The aircraft's main rotor blade struck a fence; entered an uncontrolled descent; and rolled over when it contacted the ground. In his written statement, the pilot said, 'I can not furnish a copy of a current pilot or medical certificate, since I have none.' A review of federal aviation administration records revealed no record of a pilot certificate or medical certificate ever being issued to the pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7033H
- Reported as
- Hughes 269A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 86-0644
- Engine
- Lycoming H10-360-B1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James D. Lee
- Registered owner
- James D. Lee
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Destination
- CNO · Chino, CA
- Airport
- PSP · Palm Springs Regional, runway 3, 8,500 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 56
- Medical
- Unknown
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- PSP, 1 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.