Hughes 269C accident near Paekakariki Hill, Nz, January 27, 2026
On January 27, 2026 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered ZKHGP, was destroyed in an accident near Paekakariki Hill. It was flown under non-U.S. private rules. 2 people were killed.
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 27, 2026 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Paekakariki Hill, Nz · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- ZKHGP · no longer on the register · serial 730221
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. private rules
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 GAA26WA087.