NTSB investigations: Hughes 269B

8 cases on aircraft the registry lists as Hughes 269B, where the first occurrence was “Loss of control - in flight”. Aircraft are matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model, so older matches can be wrong.

Defining event

Finding

Phase of flight

Aircraft model

Cases per year

19872026

NTSB investigations: Hughes 269B per year, 1987–2026: 8 cases
1987	1
1988	1
1992	1
1993	1
1995	1
1997	1
1998	1
2000	1

Where

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Latest cases

Query with SQL

SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1 WHERE c."mKey" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('4470502') AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_occurrences.parquet' o WHERE o.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND o.aircrafts_position = x.position AND o."occurrenceNumber" = 1 AND o."occurrenceCode" = 250)) ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC

duckdb -csv -c "SELECT c.\"ntsbNumber\", c.\"eventDate\", c.\"eventType\", c.\"eventCity\", c.\"eventStateOrRegion\", a.n_number, a.\"aircraftMake\", a.\"aircraftModel\", c.\"highestInjuryLevel\", c.\"totalFatal\", c.\"completionStatus\", c.report_url
  FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c.\"mKey\" AND a.position = 1
  WHERE c.\"mKey\" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('4470502')
      AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_occurrences.parquet' o WHERE o.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND o.aircrafts_position = x.position AND o.\"occurrenceNumber\" = 1 AND o.\"occurrenceCode\" = 250))
  ORDER BY c.\"eventDate\" DESC, c.\"ntsbNumber\" DESC"

Prints the whole list as CSV. It reads the release’s Parquet files over HTTPS, so there’s nothing to download first. Install DuckDB to run it.

SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."mKey" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('4470502')
    AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_occurrences.parquet' o WHERE o.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND o.aircrafts_position = x.position AND o."occurrenceNumber" = 1 AND o."occurrenceCode" = 250))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC

Run it at the DuckDB prompt, or in any tool that reads Parquet over HTTPS. More ways to query the release are on Use the data.

NTSB SEA00LA193Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHughes 269B · Laurel, MTFailure to maintain aircraft control during hover operations. Inadequate remedial action by the pilot was a factor.Sep 27, 2000 · N9503F · Substantial damage NTSB FTW98LA356Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHughes 269B · Uvalde, TXThe pilot's failure to maintain control during a vertical, out of ground effect takeoff which resulted in a hard emergency landing. Factors were; the exceeded hover performance of the helicopter, the high density altitude, and the lack of suitable terrain for…Aug 7, 1998 · N9425F · Substantial damage NTSB NYC98LA025Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHughes 269B · Cleveland, OHthe pilot's failure to recover from settling-with-power. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's downwind approach and low airspeed.Oct 31, 1997 · N2273W · Substantial damage NTSB ATL95LA175Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSchweizer 269C · Hoover, ALThe pilot's failure to maintain directional control when he positioned the helicopter in a hover so as to induce a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.Sep 27, 1995 · N267RW · Substantial damage NTSB SEA93IA073Incident · No injuriesIncident investigationFinal reportHughes 269B · Mcminnville, ORAn inflight loss of control, and inadequate remedial action. Factors include a tailwind, and gusts.Mar 5, 1993 · N9474F · Minor damage NTSB LAX93LA063Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHughes 269B · Kahului, HIFailure of the pilot to maintain adequate rotor RPM during downwind flight and adequate altitude to recover the loss of main rotor RPM before settling into the water. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of rotorcraft flight experience.Dec 7, 1992 · N9566F · Destroyed NTSB CHI88FA190Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportMcdonnell Douglas 269B · Braceville, ILConducting maneuvering flight the PIC failed to monitor the helicopter systems and allowed the main rotor RPM to decay to the point where it would not produce enough lift to sustain flight.Aug 2, 1988 · N9522F · Destroyed NTSB LAX87LA190Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHughes 269B · Rubidoux, CAA Hughes 269B went out of control and collided with the ground during a t/o to a hover. The pilot had purchased the aircraft recently and was learning to fly it. He was scheduled for his first flight lesson on the day of the accident. The CFI reported that he…Apr 26, 1987 · N101DN · Destroyed