Hughes 269C accident near Del Rio, Texas, March 27, 2000
On March 27, 2000 at about 1:40 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N1110N, was destroyed in an accident near Del Rio, Texas. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight loss of control while maneuvering for undetermined reasons resulting in an in-flight collision with terrain. A factor in the accident was the in-flight loss of engine power and rotor rpm.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 2000 · about 1:40 pm local time
- Place
- Del Rio, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C 269-C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1110N · no longer on the register · serial 611064
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the ground crew, there were no witnesses to the accident. Five minutes after initial radio contact with the helicopter in preparation for a coyote eradication mission, contact was lost. The wreckage was found about 2-miles from its launch point. The wreckage revealed signs of a high rate of descent terrain collision with low or no engine and rotor speed. On-site and subsequent examination of the rotorcraft's engine, engine components, transmission, clutch, main and tail rotor drive trains, and flight controls revealed no mechanical malfunction or failure. A spent shotgun shell was found lying loose under the seat panel that possessed a crush mark that appeared to fit between two crushing surfaces, namely, the throttle bell crank and the coorelator assembly for the right seat where the right collective control column had been removed. The jam scenario was simulated numerous and separate times with an undamaged HU-269C and identical spent shotgun shells, both by the USDA accident investigator and the NTSB investigator. It was determined the jam only interfered with throttle action toward the decrease power setting and was easily overpowered by a stronger twisting action.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,767 hours in all; 2,250 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 2,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,027 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 31, 1999; 247 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TX at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from DRT, 6 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.