Hughes 269C accident near Rialto, California, January 6, 1990
On January 6, 1990 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N7456F, was destroyed in an accident near Rialto, California (Rialto airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE LACK OF ADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLIGHT WHEN HE ALLOWED A STUDENT TO PERFORM IN AN UNSAFE MANNER WITHOUT TAKING IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 6, 1990 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Rialto, California · Rialto · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N7456F · no longer on the register · serial 760523
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE HOVERING, THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER BY ALLOWING THE STUDENT PILOT TO OVERCORRECT THE CONTROLS AND BY NOT TAKING IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION. AFTER HE RECOGNIZED THE DETERIORATING CONDITION, HE TRIED TO RECOVER A GROUND RESONANCE PROBLEM. SHORTLY AFTERWARD, THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER ON ITS SIDE. NO PRIOR MECHANICAL PROBLEM WAS REPORTED.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all; 35 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: C.A.R.I. Aviation
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 4,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.