Hughes 269C accident near Vero Beach, Florida, February 12, 1986
On February 12, 1986 at about 2:20 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N58275, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida (Vero Beach 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
- February 12, 1986 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · Vero Beach · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N58275 · no longer on the register · serial 1190849
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AUTO-ROTATION PRACTICE, THE CFI PASSED CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER TO THE STUDENT PLT. AT APRX 10 FT ABOVE THE GROUND, THE CFI ATTEMPTED TO APPLY CORRECTIVE ACTION WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE ACFT WAS GOING TO MAKE A HARD LANDING. THE ATTEMPT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, AND THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND. THE CFI STATED THAT PERHAPS HE HAD WAITED A LITTLE TOO LONG BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO REASSUME CONTROL OF THE ACFT FROM THE STUDENT PLT.
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; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,302 hours in all; 86 in this make and model; 113 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 1,898 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,576 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 4, 1986; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flight Safety International
The flight
- Departed from: VRB Vero Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 2,650 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 20,000 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from VRB, 1 miles away
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 N58275 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.