Hughes 269B accident near Atkinson, Illinois, August 5, 2015
On August 5, 2015 at about 10:05 pm local time, a 1963 Hughes 269B (helicopter), registered N9427F, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Atkinson, Illinois. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper decision to intentionally fly the helicopter at a low altitude and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from a power line.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2015 · about 10:05 pm local time
- Place
- Atkinson, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269B, built 1963 · all 269Bs on the register
- Registration
- N9427F · no longer on the register · serial 0174
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was conducting a local, personal flight when the helicopter collided with a power line during cruise flight. A witness reported seeing the helicopter flying about 20 ft above the ground shortly before the accident. Another witness reported hearing the helicopter approach his position then hearing a loud "pop" and seeing a broken power line pass over him. The helicopter crashed in a nearby field and was destroyed by fire. The pilot sustained serious injuries and did not recall the accident flight. Postaccident examination of the helicopter did not reveal any evidence of preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the available information, the pilot was intentionally flying the helicopter at a low altitude toward the southwest when it collided with the power line. Weather conditions were good at the time of the accident, and the sun was about 34° above the horizon and to the west-southwest. Although the location of the sun relative to the power line may have hindered the pilot's ability to see and avoid the power line, it was the pilot's improper decision to operate the helicopter at a low altitude that resulted in the collision with the power line.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › (general) › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,110 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Geneseo IL
- Destination: PVT Geneseo IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 9:52 pm from MLI, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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 N9427F 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.