Hughes 269B accident near Palos Verde Est, California, June 28, 1984
On June 28, 1984 at about 8:19 pm local time, a Hughes 269B (helicopter), registered N9400F, was destroyed in an accident near Palos Verde Est, California (Torrance airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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
- June 28, 1984 · about 8:19 pm local time
- Place
- Palos Verde Est, California · Torrance · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269B · all 269Bs on the register
- Registration
- N9400F · no longer on the register · serial 124-0145
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
GND WITNESSES OBSVD HELICOPTER INTO NORMAL TURN AT 500 FT AGL FOLLOWED BY A VIOLENT RT TURN. DURING THE VIOLENT TURN THE TAIL ROTOR ASSY SEPARATED & THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONED UPWARDS. THE HELICOPTER WENT INTO A NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT & CRASHED. WRECKAGE EXAM DISCLOSE THE TAIL ROTOR HUB TEETERING FORK BOLT & BOTH PITCH CHG LNKS SUSTAINED OVLD FRACTURES. THE FORK ASSY SHOWED EXTENSIVE BLADE IMPACT MARKS. BOTH TAIL ROTOR BLADES TRAIL EDGES EXHIBITED ABRASIVE SIGNATURES & WERE DELAMINATED. THE TAIL SKID SEPARATED & WAS FRACTURED @ MIDSPAN & ITS LT SIDE SHOWED TAIL ROTOR BLADE RUB MARKS. METAL & CHEM ANALYSIS DISCLSD THE EPOXY BONDING MATERIAL WAS WEAKENED BY A FOREIGN SUBSTANCE. BOTH TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE XRAYED AND PAINTED 25 FLT HRS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO INDICATE THE PILOT HAD FLOWN A HELICOPTER WITHIN 11 MONTHS PRECEDING THE ACCIDENT. THE PLT HAD ACCUMULATED 50 HELICOPTER FLT HRS, 15 OF WHICH WERE AS PIC.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,246 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, May 28, 1984; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TOA Torrance CA at 7:32 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from TOA, 5 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.
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.