Hughes 269A accident near Bremen, Ohio, August 23, 2008
On August 23, 2008 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Hughes 269A (helicopter), registered N2256W, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Bremen, Ohio (Willard Field Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient main rotor speed during the quick-stop maneuver. Contributing to the accident was the drainage ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 2008 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bremen, Ohio · Willard Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269A · all 269As on the register
- Registration
- N2256W · no longer on the register · serial 1181018
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing a quick-stop maneuver when the accident occurred. He stated that the helicopter's main rotor speed was too low as he flared for landing. The helicopter landed hard, bounced off the right side of the runway, and then rolled over in a drainage ditch. The pilot reported that his most recent FAA medical examination and flight review were completed in 2001 and 1999, respectively.
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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Roll over during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Prop/rotor parameters › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,471 hours in all; 355 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 3,236 as pilot in command; 1,871 on instruments
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,268 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 2, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: American Air Adventures, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 62OH Bremen OH at 2:00 pm
- Destination: 62OH Bremen OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,400 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from LHQ, 10 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.
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.