Hughes 269B accident near Louisville, Kentucky, November 10, 2003
On November 10, 2003 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Hughes 269B (helicopter), registered N1093D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Louisville, Kentucky. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper in-flight decision to allow the passenger to manipulate the aircraft flight controls, his failure to maintain altitude/clearance from the river, and his inadequate remedial action. A related factor was the low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 2003 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Louisville, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269B · all 269Bs on the register
- Registration
- N1093D · registry record · serial 200900
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was substantially damaged when it impacted a river. The passenger in the helicopter stated to law enforcement officers that she was at the controls of the helicopter at the time of the accident when something went wrong, and the helicopter crashed into the water. The pilot stated that he was attempting to take pictures and while he was moving the helicopter and turning away from the wind he lost power due to lack of airspeed and fell into the river. The pilot told the officer that he had about 160 hours of flight time. The pilot stated that he was at the controls and that the passenger had been at the controls earlier, but the passenger was not at the controls at the time of the accident. Two witnesses reported that the helicopter came over a trees and then dropped down toward the water, and subsequently impacted the water. The witnesses reported that the helicopter sounded normal and no unusual sounds were heard. No pre-impact defects were found with respect to the helicopter.
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: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 160 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Rising Sun IN
- Destination: LOU Louisville KY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from LOU, 5 miles away
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.
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 CHI04LA030.