Hughes 269C accident near Brackettville, Texas, January 22, 1998
On January 22, 1998 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N1093N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brackettville, Texas. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of splines on the drive shaft coupling after separation of the forward bubber boot and loss of lubrication (grease), which resulted in a disconnect of the rotor drive system and an autorotation/forced landing. Lack of suitable terrain in the forced landing area was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 22, 1998 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Brackettville, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1093N · no longer on the register · serial 100882
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and a crewmember/gunner of the public use helicopter reported hearing a loud squealing noise, emanating from the rear of the helicopter, while in flight at 75 feet AGL. Rotor RPM began decaying from 3,100 to approximately 2,000 RPM, and the pilot initiated an autorotation. During the landing, the main rotor blades contacted the ground, and helicopter came to rest in a rocky dry creek bed on its right side. The tension nut for the short shaft was found upstream from the point of impact. An examination revealed that splines for the drive shaft coupling were damaged, and the plating on the adapter was discolored as result of excessive heat. Further examination revealed that the damage sustained by the shaft and adapter were consistent with loss of grease and subsequent overheating and destruction of the drive splines. The forward rubber boot, used to retain the lubricant, had separated, resulting in the loss of lubrication.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command; 500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,829 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 30, 1997; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Bacon Ranch TX at 3:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.