Hughes 269 accident near Jacksonville, Florida, March 10, 2018
On March 10, 2018 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1964 Hughes 269 (helicopter), registered N9020M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jacksonville, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 rotor rpm during a practice autorotation, which resulted in ground contact and a dynamic rollover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 2018 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269 A, built 1964 · all 269s on the register
- Registration
- N9020M · no longer on the register · serial 64-18188
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter pilot reported that he entered a practice autorotation and intended to terminate the maneuver to a hover. During the flare phase of the maneuver, he allowed the rotor rpm to decay. He increased collective and subsequently added power with throttle. The nose of the helicopter yawed to the right and simultaneously the fuselage rolled to the left. He applied left pedal, but the left skid struck rising terrain and the helicopter entered dynamic rollover. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor drive system and the tail rotor drive system. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Autorotation Loss of control in flight defining event
- Autorotation Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain)
- Dynamic rollover during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Prop/rotor parameters › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,958 hours in all; 301 in this make and model; 88 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 15, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,093.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 4, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-B1A (piston); 494 hours total
- Operator: Skypro Industries INC
The flight
- Departed from: CRG Jacksonville FL at 7:15 pm
- Destination: CRG Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KCRG, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 5, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N9020M 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.