Hughes 269A accident near Council Bluffs, Iowa, April 27, 1997
On April 27, 1997 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Hughes 269A (helicopter), registered N1040S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Council Bluffs, Iowa (Council Bluffs Municipal 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
failure of the student pilot to maintain directional control, inadequate supervision by the flight instructor (CFI), and subsequent failure of the pilot(s) to properly flare the helicopter during a hover autorotation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 1997 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Council Bluffs, Iowa · Council Bluffs Municipal · 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
- N1040S · no longer on the register · serial 56-0534
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor (CFI) reported that during the third practice hover to autorotation maneuver, from about at three feet above ground level (agl), the student pilot applied right rudder pedal and an increase of collective input to cushion the impact at one foot agl. The helicopter landed on the left skid first followed by the right skid. The left front section of the skid broke at the junction to the under carriage. Examination of the skid revealed an overload fracture originating from outboard towards the inboard of the left skid. The pilot's operating handbook stated that a power failure would be indicated by sudden yawing of the aircraft to the left and that the right amount of right rudder pedal input would be necessary to compensate for yawing.
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; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 630 hours in all; 145 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 540 as pilot in command; 27 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,575 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CBF at 4:20 pm
- Destination: CBF
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 2,850 ft by 135 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from CBF
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.
Other NTSB records under N1040S 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.