Hughes 269C accident near Jacksonville, Florida, May 4, 1986
On May 4, 1986 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N8993F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jacksonville, Florida (Craig Municipal airport). It was a personal 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 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
- May 4, 1986 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · Craig Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N8993F · no longer on the register · serial 830227
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT AS HE WAS LANDING ON A DOLLY, THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED GROUND RESONANCE & BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. IT THEN ROLLED OVER ON ITS SIDE, CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES TO STRIKE THE TAIL BOOM & THE GROUND.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,207 hours in all; 482 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,980 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 28, 1985; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 55J Fernandina Bch FL at 8:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:52 pm from CRG
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.
Other NTSB records under N8993F 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.