Hughes 369HS accident near Wrightsville Bc, North Carolina, August 8, 1982
On August 8, 1982 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Hughes 369HS (helicopter), registered N4265P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wrightsville Bc, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 1982 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Wrightsville Bc, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369HS · all 369HSs on the register
- Registration
- N4265P · no longer on the register · serial 1190216S
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE INITIATED A DOWNWIND TAKEOFF IN A 10 KT WIND AND STARTED A CLIMB OVER WATER. REPORTEDLY, THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SPIN TO THE RIGHT AS IT REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 50 FT AGL AND 20 KTS. THE PILOT ALLOWED THE HELICOPTER TO ROTATE UNTIL HE REACHED A LANDFALL, SOME 200 TO 500 FT AWAY. THEN HE MADE AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING INTO A MARSHY AREA. WHILE LANDING, THE HELICOPTER SETTLED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. A WITNESS STATED THAT THE TAKEOFF APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SPIN. AN EXAMINATION OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT, TRANSMISSION, MAIN ROTOR, TAIL ROTOR CONTROLS AND TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX FAILED TO REVEAL ANY PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION. ACCORDING TO PERFORMANCE CHARTS, THE HELICOPTER SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONTROLLABLE FOR EITHER TAKEOFF OR HOVER IN THE PREVAILING CONDITIONS. THE AIR TEMPERATURE WAS REPORTED TO BE 95 DEG.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,600 hours in all; 265 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,493 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C18A (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Wrightsville Bc NC at 6:45 pm
- Destination: Wrightsville Bc NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 203°F (95°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.