Hughes 269A accident near Coldwater, Michigan, October 12, 1993
On October 12, 1993 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Hughes 269A (helicopter), registered N7032U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Coldwater, Michigan (Branch County Memorial 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 fatigue failure of the tailboom support strut attachment lug.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 12, 1993 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Coldwater, Michigan · Branch County Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269A · all 269As on the register
- Registration
- N7032U · no longer on the register · serial 114-0327
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated helicopter pilot who was receiving dual instruction was at the controls in a hover. The pilot and the CFI both reported hearing a bang followed by loss of directional control. The student pilot made a successful hovering autorotation. The investigation revealed the tailboom support strut attachment lug had failed at the left aft cluster fitting. The failed part was examined and found to have failed due to fatigue.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,750 hours in all; 240 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command; 200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,695 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 22, 1993; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Brooks Aero, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 5D8 Marshall MI at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from BTL, 24 miles away
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.