Hughes 269C accident near Houma, Louisiana, February 24, 1990
On February 24, 1990 at about 3:08 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N7504A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Houma, Louisiana (Houma airport). It was an instructional 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
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 1990 · about 3:08 pm local time
- Place
- Houma, Louisiana · Houma
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N7504A · no longer on the register · serial S1195
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A SUPERVISED INSTRUCTIONAL SOLO FLIGHT, THE PILOT INITIATED A GO-AROUND AT 150 FEET AGL AND 60 KNOTS. HE REPORTED THAT AS HE APPLIED UP COLLECTIVE, THE ENGINE AND MAIN ROTOR RPM FLUCTUATED. THE PILOT ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION, BUT DURING THE LANDING, THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE TERRAIN AND ROLLED OVER. ENGINE DISASSEMBLY AND ANALYSIS REVEALED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,863 hours in all; 29 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 11,342 as pilot in command; 3,868 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,000 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Observation at 3:08 pm from HUM
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.