Hughes 369D accident near Shandon, California, August 31, 1983
On August 31, 1983, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N5007G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Shandon, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. 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
- August 31, 1983
- Place
- Shandon, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N5007G · registry record · serial 811038D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER MADE A HARD LANDING DURING AUTOROTATION AFTER THE PLT REPORTEDLY HAD AN ENGINE FAILURE AT ABOUT 50 FT AGLABOUT 15 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF. THE ENGINE WAS CHECKED AT LONG BEACH AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND TEST RUN IN THE ACFT. THE ENGINE WAS ALSO PLACED IN A TEST CELL AND CHECKED. RESULTS OF THESE TESTS INDICATED THE ENGINE MET THE SPECIFICATIONS OFA NEW ENGINE. ALL TESTS ON THE ACFT AND ENGINE COMPONENTS WERE SATISFACTORY AND NOTHING WAS NOTED TO PRECLUDE NORMAL OPERATION OF THE ACFT AND ENGINE.
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; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,452 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 4,316 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 232 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 11, 1983; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N5007G 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.