Hughes 369D accident near Homer, Alaska, September 27, 1998
On September 27, 1998 at about 4:25 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N1091P, suffered minor damage in an accident near Homer, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under public-use (government) rules. 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The passenger not following the instructions given by the pilot. Contributing factors were the rising terrain and the pilot's diverted attention during the toe in landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 27, 1998 · about 4:25 pm local time
- Place
- Homer, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N1091P · registry record · serial 683D
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was engaged in a partial power toe in landing to disembark two passengers. The passenger on the left side walked uphill, and was struck by the main rotor blades, sustaining serious injuries. The helicopter sustained minor damage to the rotor system, and the pilot relocated to a safe landing site. According to the other passenger and the pilot, the passengers had been briefed to not walk uphill when exiting the helicopter. The pilot stated that his attention was diverted between the passengers on each side of the helicopter, and maintaining the helicopter's position.
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
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 210 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 2,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,528 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 8, 1998; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M/V Nancy H. at 10:55 am
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
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.
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.