Hughes 269C accident near Lockport, Illinois, June 18, 1989
On June 18, 1989 at about 1:45 am local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N26628, was destroyed in an accident near Lockport, Illinois. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER FLIGHT TECHNIQUE BY THE PIC DURING A TAKEOFF FROM A CONFINED AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 18, 1989 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Lockport, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N26628 · no longer on the register · serial 1100992
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT HELICOPTER FAILED TO CLIMB HIGH ENOUGH TO CLEAR OBSTRUCTIONS BEFORE STARTING HIS ACCELERATION TO LEVEL FLIGHT DURING A TAKEOFF FROM A CONFINED AREA FOR A SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT. DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, THE ACCIDENT HELICOPTER STRUCK A TREE WITH THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE HELICOPTER THEN DESCENDED OUT OF CONTROL AND STRUCK A HOUSE, WIRES, AND ANOTHER TREE BEFORE IMPACTING TERRAIN AND ROLLING ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE FLIGHT WAS ONE OF A SERIES OF SCENIC FLIGHTS CONDUCTED BY THE OPERATOR FROM A TEMPORARY LANDING SITE AT A CARNIVAL.
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: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,549 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,085 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 13, 1989; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,980 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Lockport IL at 1:45 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 am from ARR
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.
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.