Hughes 369-500D accident near Fort Stockton, Texas, August 20, 1986
On August 20, 1986 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Hughes 369-500D (helicopter), registered N4493M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Stockton, Texas. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were 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
- August 20, 1986 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Stockton, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369-500D · all 369-500Ds on the register
- Registration
- N4493M · no longer on the register · serial 5701370
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER PILOT ENTERED AUTOROTATION AFTER EXPERIENCING FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE PILOT KNEW HE WAS LOW ON FUEL, BUT WAS DEPENDING ON HIS WARNING LIGHT TO INDICATE LOW FUEL.THE WARNING LIGHT NEVER CAME ON. ON TOUCHDOWN THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR TO SEVERE THE TAIL BOOM JUST AFT OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 699 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 651 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,284 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 23, 1986; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 207° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 104°F (40°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from MAF, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N4493M 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.