Hughes 269B accident near South Bend, Indiana, March 17, 1987
On March 17, 1987 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Hughes 269B (helicopter), registered N9522F, was substantially damaged in an accident near South Bend, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 1987 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- South Bend, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269B · all 269Bs on the register
- Registration
- N9522F · no longer on the register · serial 58-0364
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, AFTER DEPARTURE FROM AURORA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, HE LANDED AT AN AIRFIELD WEST OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS AND PICKED UP THE TWO PASSENGERS. THE PLT STATED THAT HE THEN DEPARTED FOR ELKHART, INDIANA. ACCORDING TO AN INDIANA STATE POLICE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT, WHILE EN ROUTE TO ELKHART, THE PLT OBSERVED AN ILLUMINATED LOW FUEL LIGHT AND DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD, ABOUT THREE MILES SOUTHWEST OF MICHIANA REGIONAL AIRPORT, SOUTH BEND, INDIANA. THE REPORT FURTHER STATES THAT THE GAS TANK OF THE ACFT WAS FOUND EMPTY. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, 'SUBSTANTIAL ACFT DAMAGE OCCURRED DURING FLARE AND SUBSEQUENT HARD LANDING.'
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 127 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 64 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,000 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, March 10, 1987; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-AIA (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sportflight Helicopter, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: ARR Aurora IL at 5:15 pm
- Destination: EKM Elkhart IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from SBN, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N9522F 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.