- Date
- October 11, 1991, 18:00 local (Oct 12, 1991, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hillsboro, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9474FHughes 269B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911011046059A
- Case key
- 41599
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The failure to maintain rotor RPM. Factors include inadequate preflight planning, overconfidence in aircraft's ability, and non-suitable terrain.
Analysis
The pilot of the Hughes 269B allowed rotor RPM to drop out of the green arc, while maneuvering over an orchard in order to knock hazelnuts off of trees with his rotor wash. He was unable to reduce collective because of the trees, and he could not accelerate enough to increase rotor speed prior to settling into the orchard. After the accident, the pilot stated that he had taken on a passenger and filled the aircraft with fuel, without recomputing the performance data.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9474F
- Reported as
- Hughes 269B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1160278
- Airframe hours
- 9,525
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO360B1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Precision Helicopters Inc.
- Registered owner
- Precision Helicopters Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 16, 1991 · 52 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
- 28
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 547 total · 23 in this make and model · 429 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Temperature
- 70 °F
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 N9474F · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.