Hughes 269B accident near Saluda, South Carolina, September 23, 1984
On September 23, 1984 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Hughes 269B (helicopter), registered N9339F, was destroyed in an accident near Saluda, South Carolina (Etheredge Air-Strip airport). It was an instructional 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
- September 23, 1984 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Saluda, South Carolina · Etheredge Air-Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269B · all 269Bs on the register
- Registration
- N9339F · no longer on the register · serial 34-0049
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CRASHED DURING AN ATTEMPTED PRACTICE AUTOROTATION AFTER POWER WAS APPLIED TO EFFECT A RECOVERY. THE CFI, ON THEFLT, STATED THAT HE NOTICED THAT THE STUDENT WAS GOING TO OVERSHOOT AND INSTRUCTED HIM TO MAKE A POWER RECOVERY AT 100 FT AGL. HE SAID THAT THE ACFT SHUDDERED AND ENTERED A HIGH SINK RATE. BY THE TIME THE CFI TOOK THE CONTROLS, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE ROTOR RPM WAS BELOW THE PROPER RANGE AND DECAYING. THE ENGINE RPM WAS NOTED TO BE NEAR ZERO. THE CFI REPORTED THAT HE THEN 'BOTTOMED' THE COLLECTIVE AND OPENED THE THROTTLE BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. IN SPITE OF THE CFI'S EFFORTS TO RECOVER, THE ACFT HIT THE GROUND TAIL LOW AND YAWED LEFT. AFTER SLIDING APRX 20 FT, THE ACFT ROLLED OVER. FAA CHECKED THE ENGINE AFTER THE ROLL OVER AND FOUND IT STARTED AND RAN NORMALLY WITH PROPER MAGNETO OPERATION ANDA SMOOTH IDLE AT 1300-1350 RPM. MANUALLY REDUCED TO 500-600 RPM THE LOW SIDE CUSHION RETURNED THE ENGINE TO NORMAL IDLE AT THROTTLE RELEASE. NO EVIDENCE OF AN ENGINE MALFUCTION WAS FOUND.
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; multi-engine sea; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 533 hours in all; 127 in this make and model; 199 in the last 90 days; 410 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 60,003 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 27, 1984; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Saluda SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 1,700 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.