Hughes 269C accident near Carlsbad, California, December 4, 2000
On December 4, 2000 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N1097N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Carlsbad, California (Mcclellan-Palomar 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The CFI's inadequate supervision and failure to maintain control of the helicopter during a practice autorotation. A contributing factor was the student's improper in-flight planning/decision.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 4, 2000 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Carlsbad, California · Mcclellan-Palomar · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1097N · registry record · serial 600934
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was for the certified flight instructor (CFI) to evaluate the skill level of the second pilot, and to provide any needed instruction. The CFI assigned the second pilot the task of performing an autorotation to a landing. During the approach the second pilot, who was handling the flight controls, was a little short of the desired touchdown mark and permitted the main rotor rpm to decrease. During the hard touchdown a rotor blade chopped off the tail boom.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 12,000 as pilot in command; 8,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,582 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 13, 2000; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360H1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CRQ at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 167°F (75°C), dew point 126°F (52°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from CRQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.