Hughes OH-6A accident near Imperial, California, October 20, 1995
On October 20, 1995 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Hughes OH-6A (helicopter), registered N61865, was substantially damaged in an accident near Imperial, California. It was a public-use 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 pilot's improper planning/decision and failure to ensure there was an adequate supply of fuel, which led to fuel exhaustion and a forced (autorotative) landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 1995 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Imperial, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes OH-6A · all OH-6As on the register
- Registration
- N61865 · no longer on the register · serial 69-15987
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was airborne for 5.5 hours on an observation mission. He was returning to the airport and was about 3 miles from landing, when the engine flamed out. The pilot initiated an autorotation and landed hard, severing the tail boom. A post-accident examination of the helicopter revealed that the fuel tank was empty. The fuel system was pressurized and found to be intact. The remaining fuel was drained and found to be 1.5 pints total in quantity. No contaminates were found in the drained fuel, the fuel lines, or filter. No other malfunctions or anomolies were found in the fuel system, including the low fuel level panel warning light. The performance charts showed the helicopter had a maximum endurance of 4.25 hours. The low fuel warning light was designed to illuminate when there was about 70 pounds of fuel remaining.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,295 hours in all; 1,795 in this make and model; 340 in the last 90 days; 84 in the last 30 days; 10,095 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IPL El Centro CA at 3:00 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°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.
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.