- Date
- June 29, 1991, 19:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Manassas, VA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N48323Hughes 269A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910629024809A
- Case key
- 36946
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
The pilot's improper inflight decision and his failure to maintain proper airspeed at a low altitude which resulted in the helicopter settling with power. A factor in the accident was the pilot's failure to follow prescribed procedures/directives.
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 on a local flight, the pilot executed a steep descending turn to approximately 150 AGL, to overfly the passenger's house. Shortly after leveling at 150 feet, with 'slow forward airspeed,' the helicopter made a 'sudden quick turn to the right and pitched nose down...,' descending into trees. The wind at the time of the accident was calm. According to the height velocity diagram for the Hughes 269A, operation of the helicopter at 150 feet and zero to 52 knots of indicated airspeed should be avoided.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48323
- Reported as
- Hughes 269A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 580887
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-B1H, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dse Inc.
- Registered owner
- Dse Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
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
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IAD, 10 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.