Hughes 369HS accident near Wellington, Colorado, January 7, 1997
On January 7, 1997 at about 7:10 pm local time, a Hughes 369HS (helicopter), registered N9089F, was destroyed in an accident near Wellington, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft and his improper autorotation technique that induced the roll and subsequent ground collision. A factor was his lack of recurrent training.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 7, 1997 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Wellington, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369HS · all 369HSs on the register
- Registration
- N9089F · no longer on the register · serial 1010346S
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said the helicopter wanted to 'spin to the left.' He made a precautionary landing, monitored the engine instruments, and performed some 'hover checks.' Finding nothing amiss, the pilot took off and climbed to 6,000 feet. He said aircraft control 'became more difficult' and he elected to land in an open field. When collective was applied, the helicopter rolled left and impacted the terrain. Wreckage examination disclosed no evidence of pre-existing malfunction/failure. A helicopter flight instructor, who helped the pilot ferry the helicopter from Florida to Colorado one month before the accident, said the pilot 'had no idea what he was doing. He was far behind the aircraft.' The instructor said the pilot habitually pressed left pedal and either flew in complete circles or flew in a shallow left skid. Autorotation demonstrations were equally poor, and the instructor told the pilot he 'needed a lot of work.'
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,555 hours in all; 25 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,101 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 10, 1996; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3V5 Fort Collins CO at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from FNL, 15 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N9089F 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.