Hughes 269B accident near Big Bear, California, June 25, 1988
On June 25, 1988 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Hughes 269B (helicopter), registered N9350F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Big Bear, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 1988 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Big Bear, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269B · all 269Bs on the register
- Registration
- N9350F · registry record · serial 045
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CRUISING, THE PLT PERCEIVED HE WAS EXPERIENCING A LOSS OF ENGINE & ROTOR RPM. THE PLT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN RPM BY AUTOROTATING. THE RPM WAS REGAINED IN THE AUTOROTATIVE DESCENT. THE PLT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE DESCENT TO A LANDING. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE ACFT ROLLED OVER IN THE SOFT GROUND. THREE DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THE PLT WAS ISSUED A ROTORCRAFT-HELICOPTER PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE.
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: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 73 hours in all; 73 in this make and model; 73 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 25 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,184 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 16, 1988; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HI0-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Western Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: L67 Rialto CA at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX88LA233.