Hughes 369D accident near Cheyenne, Wyoming, August 6, 1985
On August 6, 1985 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N8662F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cheyenne, Wyoming. It was a business 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 1985 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cheyenne, Wyoming · 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
- N8662F · registry record · serial 690530D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLT WAS A PIPELINE PATROL OPERATION. WHILE IN FLT, SMOKE WAS OBSERVED IN THE CABIN. THE PLT MADE AN UNSUCCESSFUL AUTOROTATION RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE SMOKE WAS FROM AN INFLIGHT ENG COMPARTMENT FIRE. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES TO THE PLT AND HIS PAX.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 76 in the last 90 days; 5,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,794 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 5, 1985; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250 C-20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CYS Cheyenne WY at 7:00 pm
- Destination: EAN Wheatland WY
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from CYS, 19 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.