Hughes 369HS accident near 8 S. Of Page, Arizona, April 18, 1982
On April 18, 1982 at about 2:00 am local time, a Hughes 369HS (helicopter), registered N4EE, was destroyed in an accident near 8 S. Of Page, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 1982 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- 8 S. Of Page, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369HS · all 369HSs on the register
- Registration
- N4EE · no longer on the register · serial 1130537S
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS NUMBER TWO IN A TRAIL OF THREE HELICOPTERS FLYING UP THE COLORADO RIVER AT MARBLE CANYON TO PAGE, AZ WHEN IT STRUCK AN AERIAL CABLEWAY STRETCHING ACROSS THE RIVER, 22 FT ABOVE THE WATER. WITNESSES STATED THAT AFTER THE COLLISION THE HELICOPTER DID A SOMERSALT AND FELL INTO THE WATER.
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: 1,500 hours in all; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,782 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C-20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L41 Marble Canyon AZ at 5:50 pm
- Destination: PGA Page AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 147°F (64°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.
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.