Hughes 269-C accident near Lubbock, Texas, September 8, 2001
On September 8, 2001 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Hughes 269-C (helicopter), registered N7472F, was destroyed in an accident near Lubbock, Texas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 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 engine power while maneuvering for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was a malfunction of the spray system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 2001 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lubbock, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269-C · all 269-Cs on the register
- Registration
- N7472F · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Several witnesses near the accident site observed smoke and fire trailing from the helicopter while on an aerial application flight. The pilot also felt heat and saw smoke in the cockpit, which was followed by a loss of engine power. A witness, who was driving in a truck next to the cotton field, reported that he observed the helicopter flying about 20-25 feet in the air when it "suddenly fell at a slight angle, fell from the sky, and hit the ground, sending white smoke and dust." After the accident, the pilot stated that he thought that the spray system had malfunctioned which resulted in chemicals being pumped into the engine. A detailed examination of the helicopter and the engine did not reveal a reason for the loss of engine power. There was no evidence found on the airframe of an in-flight fire, however, there was some thermal damage found on the spray system. The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,400 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 235 in the last 90 days; 105 in the last 30 days; 15,204 as pilot in command; 115 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 4, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F81 Lubbock TX at 6:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from LBB
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.