Hughes 269C accident near Hesperia, California, March 28, 1992
On March 28, 1992 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N9597F, was destroyed in an accident near Hesperia, California. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ROTOR RPM. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A FAILURE OF THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT TO ADEQUATELY SUPERVISE THE TRAINING FLIGHT AND A DELAY IN CORRECTING A LOW ROTOR RPM CONDITION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 28, 1992 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Hesperia, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9597F · no longer on the register · serial 640314
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND A PRIVATE PILOT/COMMERCIAL STUDENT, WERE ON A DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT IN A HELICOPTER, TO PRACTICE PINNACLE APPROACHES, LANDINGS, AND TAKEOFFS. THE AREA OF LANDING WAS LOCATED AT ABOUT 3,600 FEET MSL, NEAR THE TOP OF A STEEP MOUNTAIN RIDGE. TWO APPROACHES TO THE PINNACLE LANDING ZONE RESULTED IN ONE GO-AROUND, AND ONE LANDING. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT REPORTED THAT THE STUDENT TENDED TO ALLOW THE MAIN ROTOR RPM TO DROOP WHEN ADDING POWER TO TERMINATE THE LANDING APPROACH. ON THE THIRD APPROACH, THE RPM AGAIN STARTED TO DECREASE. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT TOOK CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER AND ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE THE THROTTLE SETTING AND DECREASE COLLECTIVE PITCH TO RECOVER FROM THE LOW ROTOR RPM CONDITION. MAIN ROTOR RPM CONTINUED TO DECREASE AND THE INSTRUCTOR ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT THE EDGE OF THE RIDGE. THE HELICOPTER SLID BACKWARDS OVER THE EDGE OF THE MOUNTAIN AND BEGAN TO BREAK APART, TUMBLING 600 FEET DOWN THE MOUNTAIN SIDE. A POST CRASH FIRE ERUPTED DURING THE BREAK-UP SEQUENCE. THE INSTRUCTOR WAS EJECTED FROM HELICOPTER. THE STUDENT REMAINED IN THE WRECKAGE AND RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE POST ACCIDENT WRECKAGE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PREEXISTING MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,630 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 106 in the last 90 days; 1,950 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,700 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 24, 1992; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Mojave Aviation INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from VCV, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.