Hughes 369D accident near North Las Vegas, Nevada, August 8, 2005
On August 8, 2005 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N58431, was substantially damaged in an accident near North Las Vegas, Nevada (North Las Vegas 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 pilot's improper use of the cyclic flight control and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 2005 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- North Las Vegas, Nevada · North Las Vegas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N58431 · registry record · serial 1290647D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The tail rotor and stinger were damaged during a full touchdown practice autorotation. During a 120-day recurrent training, the instructor pilot and commercial pilot were performing their fifth full-down autorotation. Both pilots were on the controls during the maneuver and the instructor pilot advised the commercial pilot to push the cyclic forward during the deceleration flare; however, the commercial pilot did not move it far enough and stinger impacted the ground, followed by the tail rotor. The tail rotor was substantially damaged and had to be replaced. No mechanical problems were reported with the helicopter prior to the accident.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,391 hours in all; 4,810 in this make and model; 76 in the last 90 days; 48 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VGT North Las Vegas NV at 2:39 am
- Destination: VGT North Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KVGT
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.
Other NTSB records under N58431 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.