Hughes 369D accident near Mount Iliamna, Alaska, August 28, 1993
On August 28, 1993 at about 3:20 am local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N5074R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mount Iliamna, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION, AND HIS DELAY IN TAKING REMEDIAL ACTION. FACTORS WERE THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND GUSTY WINDS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1993 · about 3:20 am local time
- Place
- Mount Iliamna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N5074R · no longer on the register · serial 1151D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER MAKING A LOW PASS OVER A MOUNTAINOUS WORK SITE THE HELICOPTER STARTED A RIGHT TURN. THE PILOT SAID HE SOON REALIZED THAT THE HELICOPTER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO OUT CLIMB THE STEEP TERRAIN, SO HE STARTED A TURN BACK TO THE LEFT. THEN THE RIGHT SKID HIT THE MOUNTAINSIDE, CAUSING THE SKID AND THE RIGHT HALF OF THE CROSSTUBES TO BE TORN FROM THE AIRFRAME. SOME ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS ALSO SUSTAINED BY THE FUSELAGE. THE HELICOPTER RETURNED TO ITS NEARBY BASE CAMP AND LANDED ON A MAKESHIFT SUPPORT STRUCTURE. THE PILOT SAID HE MIGHT HAVE ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT. THE PILOT AND FOUR PASSENGERS SAID THE WINDS WERE GUSTY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,650 hours in all; 3,600 in this make and model; 270 in the last 90 days; 110 in the last 30 days; 5,540 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,624 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 11, 1993; 81 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Soloy Helicopters, INC.
The flight
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; not recorded at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N5074R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.