Hughes 369D accident near Peyton, Colorado, December 15, 1999
On December 15, 1999 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N5190C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Peyton, Colorado. It was a personal 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
an uncontrolled touchdown following entry into a "out-of-ground effect" hover. Factors were loss of tail rotor effectiveness, and the pilot's lack of recent experience in kind of aircraft and total experience in type of aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 1999 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Peyton, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N5190C · registry record · serial 1145D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After being absent from flying for several years, the pilot was practicing in a type helicopter in which he had 6 hours total time and 1 hour of pilot in command time, all of which was in the preceding 30 days. Upon entering an 'out of ground effect' hover, tail rotor effectiveness was lost and the pilot made a hard landing with the helicopter turning to the right during touch down. The helicopter rolled on its side after touch down. There was one passenger on board and approximately 50 gallons of fuel.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,601 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 5 in the last 30 days; 9,456 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,978 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 16, 1999; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison/Rolls C-250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Colorado Helicopters, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 00V at 11:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 109°F (43°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:54 pm from COS, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.