Hughes 500D accident near Amarillo, Texas, May 27, 1982
On May 27, 1982 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Hughes 500D (helicopter), registered N277SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Amarillo, Texas. It was a personal 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 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
- May 27, 1982 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Amarillo, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 500D
- Registration
- N277SP · registry record · serial 0461
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS PRACTICING AUTOROTATIONS. WHEN HE ADDED POWER TO RECOVER FROM HIS EIGHTH AUTOROTATION, HE EXPERIENCED COMPRESSOR STALLS IN THE ENGINE AND A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AT ABOUT 20 FT AGL. THE HELICOPTER SETTLED AND MADE A HARD TOUCHDOWN. DURING TOUCHDOWN, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES FLEXED DOWNWARD AND CHOPPED OFF THE TAIL BOOM. THE ENGINE WAS TRANSPORTED TO A TEST CELL WHERE IT WAS RUN UP IN AN "AS IS" CONDITION. IT OPERATED NORMALLY WITH A POWER OUTPUT OF 4.29% ABOVE THE MINIMUM REQUIRED. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND EXCEPT THERE WAS A MODERATE AIR LEAK FROM THE ANTI-ICE VALVE. THE VALVE WAS REPLACED AND THE ENGINE THEN PRODUCED 5.95% ABOVE THE MINIMUM REQUIRED POWER. THE ENGINE WAS THEN COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLED AND INSPECTED AND ALL PARTS WERE FOUND TO BE IN SATISFACTORY CONDITION. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS ABOUT 5100 FT.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,883 hours in all; 485 in this make and model; 172 in the last 90 days; 3,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,393 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southwestern Public Service CO
The flight
- Departed from: Amarillo TX at 3:05 pm
- Destination: Amarillo TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 205° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 158°F (70°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from AMA, 8 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N277SP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.