Hughes 269C accident near Mineral Wells, Texas, December 30, 2006
On December 30, 2006 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N9655F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mineral Wells, Texas (Mineral Wells airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of control as result of loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 30, 2006 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mineral Wells, Texas · Mineral Wells
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9655F · registry record · serial Unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 22-hour helicopter student pilot lost control of the single-engine helicopter while performing a hovering maneuver during a solo training flight. The pilot added that while hovering at a skid height of 10-feet above the ground, the helicopter encountered a phenomena known as loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE). The helicopter entered an uncontrolled hard spin to the right. The pilot responded by lowering the collective and the helicopter landed hard. The helicopter sustained structural damage to the right strut, the tail rotor drive shafts, and the right horizontal stabilizer. The pilot egressed from the helicopter normally and sustained no injuries. The winds at the time of the mishap were reported from 210 degrees at 6 knots.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 180 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,500 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming H10 360A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KMWL Mineral Wells TX
- Destination: KMWL Mineral Wells TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 6:30 pm from KMWL
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.