Hughes 369C accident near Agana, May 26, 2002
On May 26, 2002 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Hughes 369C (helicopter), registered N500LA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Agana (Guam International Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
sabotage to the helicopter's fuel system, which resulted in a loss of engine power and a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 2002 · about 9:30 pm local time · cases in 2002
- Place
- Agana · Guam International Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369C · all 369Cs on the register
- Registration
- N500LA · registry record · serial 4405935
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter experienced a loss of engine power immediately after takeoff and landed hard. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector found chicken eggs in the helicopter's fuel tanks. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the accident, and listed it as a criminal case.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,894 hours in all; 4,800 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 5,556 as pilot in command; 1,729 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 19, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,713.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2001; 3,707.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Agana at 9:25 pm
- Destination: NONE Agana
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from PGUM, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N500LA on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Hughes 369 500 series helicopters 123 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Hughes 386 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Allison C20B · as the NTSB recorded it
- Guam International · nearest airport
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX02LA176.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.