Hughes 369E accident near Prestonburg, Kentucky, September 14, 1990
On September 14, 1990 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Hughes 369E (helicopter), registered N50075, was destroyed in an accident near Prestonburg, Kentucky. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE LOST OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 1990 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Prestonburg, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369E · all 369Es on the register
- Registration
- N50075 · no longer on the register · serial 0004E
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT ABOUT 30 MINUTES INTO THE EN ROUTE PORTION OF THE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE DID AN AUTOROTATION AND UNSUCCESSFULLY TRIED TO LAND IN A FIELD, BUT THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES SHORT OF IT. THE PLT STATED THAT THE AUX TANKS WERE FULL AND THE MAIN TANK GAGE INDICATED 90 LBS (14 GALS) WHEN THE POWER LOSS OCCURRED. HE REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN ABOUT 1.9 HRS SINCE IT WAS LAST REFUELED. THE MAIN AND AUX TANK CAPACITY, RESPECTIVELY, ARE 64 AND 20 GALS. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF ANY MECHANIAL MALFUNCTION.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,582 hours in all; 839 in this make and model; 106 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days; 6,552 as pilot in command; 296 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,037 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 6, 1990; 103 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Flatwoods KY at 4:45 pm
- Destination: Pikesville KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from JKL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N50075 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.