Hughes 269B accident near Edgerton, Indiana, April 29, 2011
On April 29, 2011 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Hughes 269B (helicopter), registered N9561F, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Edgerton, Indiana (Van Wert County airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of clearance between the tail rotor drive shaft and the tailboom bulkhead for undetermined reasons, which resulted in the overstress failure of the drive shaft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 2011 · about 11:30 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Edgerton, Indiana · Van Wert County · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269B · all 269Bs on the register
- Registration
- N9561F · registry record · serial 200450
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported a vibration in the helicopter antitorque pedals and a subsequent loss of directional control. The pilot initiated an autorotation to a field, and the helicopter sustained damage to the left landing skid and fuselage. A postaccident examination revealed that the tail rotor drive shaft failed due to an overstress fracture that resulted from contact with the tailboom bulkhead. Examination of the tailboom support structure was unable to determine the underlying cause of the contact between the tailboom and drive shaft. The operator reported that he was not aware of any events prior to the accident that would have compromised the tailboom support structure.
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
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during maneuvering (hover) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (hover)
- Autorotation Off-field or emergency landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Tail rotor drive system › Tail rotor drive shaft › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › Rotorcraft tail boom › Damaged/degraded other cases naming the airframe structure
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 462 hours in all; 315 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 368 as pilot in command; 130 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 14, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,454 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 16, 2011; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Heartland Helicopters LLC
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Edgerton IN at 11:00 pm
- Destination: NONE Edgerton IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 pm from FWA, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on January 26, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Conversation Record -- Operator | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Materials Laboratory 15 - Factual Report 11-114 with 8 Embedded Images) | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 36 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N9561F on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Hughes 269 300 series helicopters 207 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Hughes 387 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-A1A 5 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Van Wert County · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Indiana 1,367 since 1982 · 179 in the last ten years
- Indiana 5,702 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN11LA315.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.