Hughes 369 accident near Pitalito, CO, December 29, 2009
On December 29, 2009 at about 4:55 pm local time, a Hughes 369 (helicopter), registered HK4177, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Pitalito. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under non-U.S. private rules. 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
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
- December 29, 2009 · about 4:55 pm local time
- Place
- Pitalito, Colombia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369 D · all 369s on the register
- Registration
- HK4177 · no longer on the register · serial 470124D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On December 29, 2009, about 1655 universal coordinated time (1155 local time), a Hughes 369D, Colombian registration HK4177, operated by Sociedad Aerea de Ibague, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Pitalito, Huila, Colombia. The Colombian pilot was fatally injured and the passenger was seriously injured. The flight, which originated at Ibague Airport (SKIB), Ibague, Colombia, was operating under Colombian flight regulations. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the government of Colombia. Further information can be obtained from: Grupo de Investigacion de Accidentes Unidad Administrativa Especial de Aeronautica Civil Avenida Eldorado # 103-23 Bogota, Colombia Telephone: 57-1-2662210 This report is for informational purposes, and only contains information released by the government of Colombia.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during approach defining event
Crew member
No details recorded.
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SKIB Ibague
- Destination: NONE Pitalito
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.