Hughes 269A accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, March 18, 1983
On March 18, 1983 at about 7:55 pm local time, a Hughes 269A (helicopter), registered N9020M, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Petersburg, Florida (St. Petersburg 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 1983 · about 7:55 pm local time
- Place
- St. Petersburg, Florida · St. Petersburg
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269A · all 269As on the register
- Registration
- N9020M · no longer on the register · serial 46-0500
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED THE GROUND WITH A SKID DURING A HOVER AND ENDED UP IN A DYNAMIC ROLL OVER. THIS WAS A DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLT AND THE STUDENT WAS AT THE CONTROLS IN A HOVER AT THE RUNWAYS END AWAITING TWR INSTRUCTIONS WHEN THE RIGHT SKID BECAME STUCK IN BOGGY GROUND. THE INSTRUCTOR GOT ON THE CONTROLS TO RECOVER BUT THE ACFT ROLLED OVER ON ITS SIDE BEFORE RECOVERY WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THE OCCUPANTS WERE NOT INJURED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 669 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 290 in the last 90 days; 250 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,660 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 12, 1983; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from PIE
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.
Other NTSB records under N9020M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.