Hughes 269C accident near Lawrenceville, Georgia, April 13, 1988
On April 13, 1988 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N42JW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lawrenceville, Georgia (Gwinnett County airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. 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
- April 13, 1988 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lawrenceville, Georgia · Gwinnett County
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N42JW · registry record · serial 0521
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT HE INITIATED A SIM ENGINE FAILURE DURING CLIMB AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL, AS PART OF THE RECURRENCY FLIGHT. THE PILOT INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION, AT ABOUT 50 FT AGL, THE RATE OF DESCENT INCREASED AND THE THROTTLE WAS ROLLED IN TO ARREST THE DESCENT. ACCORDING TO THE CHECK PLT, THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESPOND, AND A FLARE WAS INITIATED IN AN ATTEMPT TO SLOW THE HELO. THE HELO SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE TERRAIN IN A TAIL-LOW ATTITUDE AND ROLLED OVER. THE PVT PLT NOTED THAT HE & THE INSTRUCTOR HAD PERFORMED 3 PRIOR SIM ENGINE FAILURES SHORTLY BEFORE, AND HAD EXECUTED A POWERED RECOVERY TO A HOVER AFTER EACH MANEUVER. EXAM OF THE HELO REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-EXISTING MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE. THE FUEL-INJECTED ENGINE STARTED AND RAN NORMAL AFTER 3-4 START ATTEMPTS, AND RESPONDED TO THROTTLE INPUTS IN A NORMAL MANNER.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,025 hours in all; 564 in this make and model; 116 in the last 90 days; 840 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,134 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 05GA Norcross GA at 2:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.