Hughes 269 accident near Dallas, Texas, June 8, 1996
On June 8, 1996 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Hughes 269 (helicopter), registered N269A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dallas, Texas (Addison Airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's encounter with dynamic rollover while hovering. Factors were the prevailing high winds and the inadequate supervision provided by the flight instructor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 1996 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Dallas, Texas · Addison Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269 · all 269s on the register
- Registration
- N269A · registry record · serial 1050403
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight instructor, the training flight was planned to practice hover related maneuvers. The practice area was a smooth, flat, grassy area on the west side of the airport, between the control tower and the runway. With the instructor pilot monitoring the controls, the student pilot prepared to lift into a hover. The instructor pilot stated that, the helicopter was 'into the wind', the controls 'appeared to feel correct', and control inputs were 'slow, smooth, and deliberate'. The aircraft 'left the ground (not completely) right skid low' and began to roll to the right (the pilot stated that, he believed that the right skid did not break contact with the ground). Despite the instructors application of left lateral cyclic, the craft continued to roll to the right, resulting in the main rotor blades contacting the ground. Subsequently, the helicopter came to rest on its right side. The winds at the time of the accident were from 350 degrees at 20 knots, gusting to 30.
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
What happened, in order
- ROLL OVER during hover
Pilot
- Ratings: none, helicopter, APLN, helicopter
- Flight time: 1,055 hours in all; 163 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: class 2
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,879 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 20, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: ADS at 9:30 pm
- Destination: ADS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 79°C, dew point 54°C
- Altimeter: 29 inHg
- Observation at 10:13 pm from ADS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW96LA244.