Hughes 300C accident near Aurora, Illinois, June 17, 1987
On June 17, 1987 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Hughes 300C (helicopter), registered N3625B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Aurora, Illinois (Aurora Muni airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
- June 17, 1987 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Aurora, Illinois · Aurora Muni
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 300C
- Registration
- N3625B · no longer on the register · serial 51175
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE THE STUDENT & INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WERE ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLT, A DECISION WAS MADE TO PRACTICE AN AUTOROTATION & SIMULATED TAIL ROTOR FAILURE. RPRTDLY, A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN WAS MADE, BUT THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE CFI ELECTEDTO GET THE HELICOPTER AIRBORNE AGAIN, BUT STATED THAT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT RPM TO MAINTAIN FLT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER MADE TWO 360 DEG TURNS TO THE RGT & CONTACTED THE GROUND. NO PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE HELICOPTER WAS RPRTD.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 493 hours in all; 493 in this make and model; 81 in the last 90 days; 467 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,297 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 30, 1986; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Eagle Air Helicopter, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,199 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 30,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 pm from ARR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.