Hughes 369D accident near Avalon, California, October 19, 2005
On October 19, 2005 at about 9:29 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N268ST, was substantially damaged in an accident near Avalon, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate visual lookout and obstacle clearance altitude, which resulted in a collision with power lines. Factors in the accident were the position of the sun relative to the helicopter's flight path, which lessoned the visual acuity of the pilot, and, the pilot's intentional low altitude flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 19, 2005 · about 9:29 pm local time
- Place
- Avalon, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N268ST · no longer on the register · serial 470122D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter collided with power lines during flight and descended into terrain. The pilot was flying with another helicopter on a local personal flight to an island. A witness was in his boat and had just picked up his mooring at an anchorage and reported seeing two helicopters arriving from the west. The first helicopter flew over his boat about 75 feet above the water. The helicopter continued toward the land and began climbing because there were cliffs directly off of the beach. The helicopter continued in its climb and then impacted the power lines. The witness noted that the pilot would have had difficulty in seeing the power lines due to the position of the sun. Prior to the impact, there was no noticeable change in the sound of the helicopter and it appeared to be under power and full control of the pilot. Examination of the helicopter did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions of either the airframe or engine. The United States Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department showed that the sun transit was at 1238, and that sunset occurred at 1814 on the day of the accident. At the time of the accident, the sun's disk was 39 degrees above the horizon on a bearing of 215 degrees.
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: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,479 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 2005; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CRQ Carlsbad CA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: AVX Avalon CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 300 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 pm from AVX, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 N268ST 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.