Hughes 269A-1 accident near No. Little Rock, Arkansas, August 18, 1991
On August 18, 1991 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Hughes 269A-1 (helicopter), registered N65372, was substantially damaged in an accident near No. Little Rock, Arkansas (North Little Rock airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN MAIN ROTOR RPM, HIS DELAYED FLARE, AND THE IMPROPER TOUCHDOWN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 1991 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- No. Little Rock, Arkansas · North Little Rock · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269A-1 · all 269A-1s on the register
- Registration
- N65372 · no longer on the register · serial 15-0022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE COMMERCIAL HELICOPTER PILOT WAS DEMONSTRATING AN AUTOROTATION TO TOUCHDOWN TO HIS PASSENGER. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES FLEXED DOWNWARD WHICH RESULTED IN THE TAILBOOM BEING PENETRATED.
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: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,815 hours in all; 6,000 in this make and model; 259 in the last 90 days; 102 in the last 30 days; 7,605 as pilot in command; 700 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,153 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 24, 1991; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,640 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: North Little Rock Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: 1M1 No. Little Rock AR at 9:00 pm
- Runway 35, 3,000 ft by 15 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.