Hughes 269A accident near Saluda, South Carolina, September 5, 1988
On September 5, 1988 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Hughes 269A (helicopter), registered N8823F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Saluda, South Carolina. 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).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 1988 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Saluda, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269A · all 269As on the register
- Registration
- N8823F · registry record · serial 230167
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT REPORTED THAT THEY WERE CONDUCTING AUTOROTATION TRAINING. DURING AN AUTOROTATION THE CREW DELAYED INITIATING THE POWER RECOVERY. THE HELICOPTERS STRUCK THE GROUND CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOTS DID NOT REPORT EXPERIENCING A SYSTEM PROBLEM OR MALFUNCTION.THE STUDENT PLT HAD NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THIS MAKE & MODEL. HIS TOTAL HELICOPTER TIME WAS 45 HRS WITH 21 AS PIC.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,184 hours in all; 355 in this make and model; 372 in the last 90 days; 165 in the last 30 days; 992 as pilot in command; 94 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,284 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 7, 1988; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HO-360-C2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: South East Helicopter, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL88LA249.