Hughes 369HS accident near Burnet, Texas, March 25, 1995
On March 25, 1995 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Hughes 369HS (helicopter), registered N3961H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Burnet, Texas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
FAILURE BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM DURING THE AUTOROTATION AND HIS DELAYED FLARE. A FACTOR WAS: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE THE FUEL BOOST PUMP WHILE USING AVIATION GASOLINE VICE JET FUEL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 1995 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Burnet, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369HS · all 369HSs on the register
- Registration
- N3961H · no longer on the register · serial 520378S
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CONDUCTING AN AIR TOUR FLIGHT AT AN AIR SHOW, THE PILOT FUELED THE TURBINE POWERED HELICOPTER WHICH NORMALLY USES JET 'A' FUEL. THE FACILITY WHERE HE WAS HAD ONLY 100LL AVIATION GASOLINE SO HE ADDED 15 GALLONS TO THE LESS THAN 10 GALLONS OF JET FUEL ON BOARD. TWENTY TWO MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, TO A FACILITY WHERE JET FUEL WAS AVAILABLE, THE HELICOPTER HAD A PARTIAL POWER LOSS AND THE PILOT PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION WHICH TERMINATED IN A HARD LANDING. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATING MANUAL, JET FUEL AND AVIATION GASOLINE MAY BE MIXED; HOWEVER, WHEN THIS IS DONE THE FUEL BOOST PUMP MUST BE USED WHILE OPERATING. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE THE FUEL BOOST PUMP ON.
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
- 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: 3,200 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 2,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,020 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 22, 1994; 118 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6R9 Llano TX at 8:40 pm
- Destination: T27 TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 14 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,300 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from AUS
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 N3961H 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.