Hughes 269C accident near Watkins, Colorado, May 28, 2003
On May 28, 2003 at about 3:05 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N9643F, was destroyed in an accident near Watkins, Colorado (Front Range Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of both pilots to initiate a timely recovery from a practice autorotation. A contributing factor was the instructor's inadequate supervision of the pilot receiving instruction.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 2003 · about 3:05 pm local time
- Place
- Watkins, Colorado · Front Range Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9643F · no longer on the register · serial 1200076
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses said the helicopter had been flying in a left-hand traffic pattern, practicing autorotations to a taxiway. The helicopter had flown the pattern approximately five times and each time, the helicopter descended in a nose-down attitude, leveled off and hovered, "sometimes rising slightly." The witness who saw the accident said the "helicopter descended in a nose-down attitude, but it did not appear to level off. It appeared to strike the ground with its right skid." He saw a cloud of dust and saw the helicopter start spinning around rapidly. It struck the ground, rolled over on its right side, and came to rest between two taxiways. The instructor was fatally injured and the pilot receiving instruction was seriously injured. There was no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction of the airframe or engine.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,117 hours in all; 401 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 29, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 82 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 15 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,041 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 23, 2003; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FTG Watkins CO at 2:50 pm
- Destination: FTG
- Flight plan: none
- Runway C, 2,000 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.43 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from DEN, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.