Hughes 269C accident near Louisville, Kentucky, November 15, 1990
On November 15, 1990 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N9280F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Louisville, Kentucky. It was an other work-use 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
FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER 1 CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 1990 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Louisville, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9280F · no longer on the register · serial 540305
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS PATROLLING A PIPELINE WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE DID AN AUTOROTATION LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE NUMBER ONE CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD CAP HAD FRACTURED. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE FRACTURE SURFACE REVEALED A FATIGUE CRACK HAD ORIGINATED FROM A GALLING MARK ON THE BEARING SURFACE OF THE ROD. THE ENGINE WAS OPERATED 39 HOURS SINCE IT WAS LAST OVERHAULED.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,660 hours in all; 2,600 in this make and model; 275 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 48 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,409 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, October 1, 1990; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Helicopters INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from LOU
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.
Other NTSB records under N9280F 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.