Hughes 269 accident near Eustis, Florida, September 25, 2015
On September 25, 2015 at about 2:40 pm local time, a 1972 Hughes 269 (helicopter), registered N9567F, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Eustis, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain yaw control as he slowed the helicopter during a landing approach, which resulted in a loss of helicopter control due to a 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
- September 25, 2015 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Eustis, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269 B, built 1972 · all 269s on the register
- Registration
- N9567F · no longer on the register · serial 210459
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was flying the helicopter about 600 ft above ground level and at a speed of 60 to 70 mph and began descending and slowing the helicopter as it approached a friend's home, where he planned to land. The right-seat passenger, who was a student pilot, reported that the helicopter got "low and slow" during the approach and began "violently spinning to the right." The student pilot also reported that the wind was light and variable and that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures during the flight. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or anomaly. A cell phone video provided by a witness confirmed the student's report that the helicopter was at a low altitude and airspeed when it yawed right, then spun right, and descended to ground impact. The engine could be heard running throughout the accident sequence. It is likely that, during the landing approach, the helicopter's airspeed dropped below effective translational lift, and when the pilot added power to compensate, the helicopter yawed right. The pilot was unable to stop the yaw and lost control of the helicopter due to a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
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 tail rotor effectiveness during approach defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Yaw control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Prop/rotor parameters › Capability exceeded
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 31 hours in all; 26 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 191 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 15,000 as pilot in command; 10,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 15, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,763 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 30, 2014; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,648 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LEE Leesburg FL at 2:20 pm
- Destination: Eustis FL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from LEE, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on January 29, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record – Telephone Interview, FAA Inspector Sheppard | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Video File - Witness Cell Phone Video | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.