Hughes 269A accident near Salina, Kansas, July 31, 1998
On July 31, 1998 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Hughes 269A (helicopter), registered N101KT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salina, Kansas (Salina airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
inadequate maintenance which failed to detect corrosion in the fuel injector system and the fuel pump. Factors related to the accident were the low altitude and airspeed at which the loss of engine power occurred.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 1998 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Salina, Kansas · Salina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269A · all 269As on the register
- Registration
- N101KT · registry record · serial 960663
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident occurred during a test flight after an annual inspection. The pilot reported that after takeoff at an altitude of about 300 feet above the ground with an airspeed of 50 miles per hour, the engine lost power. He performed an autorotation during which he turned to avoid obstacles. The helicopter impacted the terrain and rolled over. Post accident inspection revealed the fuel pump contained corrosion. The fuel injector contained a white powdery substance in almost every port. The fuel injector finger screen was also corroded.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,349 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 4,222 as pilot in command; 2,723 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,693 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 31, 1998; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SLN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:40 pm from SLN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.