Hughes 269C accident near San Diego, California, April 23, 1996
On April 23, 1996 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N9579F, was destroyed in an accident near San Diego, California. It was a personal 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
the decision of the pilot to fly at low altitude and low airspeed within a hazardous performance area published in the pilot operating handbook. Factors in the accident were tailwinds, lack of operator preventative maintenance impairing engine power, airworthiness of the restraint systems, and the pilot's use of prescription drugs that can impair human performance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 1996 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- San Diego, 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
- N9579F · no longer on the register · serial 540311
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was observed flying at low altitude and low airspeed. Witnesses heard the engine sputter before the helicopter lost control and landed hard in a residential area. Examination of the engine revealed evidence of two exhaust valves had stuck open due to contamination by products of combustion. The engine manufacturer publishes maintenance procedures to prevent such an occurrence that could result in a partial loss of power. The helicopter operator elected not to perform the recommended procedure. The pilot's shoulder harness failed, whereas the passenger's did not. The failure occurred in a worn area where the harness bends over the seat back. Both shoulder harnesses were not marked with the required data. The cloth data tags were missing. The history or manufacturer of the shoulder harnesses was not determined. The helicopter had an annual inspection about 6 months before the accident. Since the annual, a 100-hour and a 50-hour inspection had been accomplished. The inspections failed to detect the discrepancies with the shoulder harnesses. Toxicological testing revealed the presence in the blood of desalkylflurazepam, an active metabolite of flurazepam (Dalmane), commonly used to treat insomnia, and the presence in the urine of pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, ephrdrine, and salicylate, substances commonly found in over-the-counter cold medications.
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
- Flight time: 722 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 559 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,001 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 29, 1996; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYF CA at 10:40 pm
- Destination: CRQ Carlsbad CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:49 pm from MYF, 3 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.