Hughes 269A accident near Jacksonville, Florida, February 20, 1987
On February 20, 1987 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Hughes 269A (helicopter), registered N90270, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jacksonville, Florida (Craig Municipal 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 1987 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · Craig Municipal · map
- 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
- N90270 · registry record · serial 66-18283
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR PLT WAS DEMONSTRATING A HOVERING AUTOROTATION LANDING WITH FORWARD MOVEMENT, WHEN, AFTER THE THROTTLE WAS CLOSED, THE HELICOPTER HUNG IN THE AIR. FORWARD CYCLIC WAS THEN APPLIED WHEN HE REALIZED THAT THE ROTOR RPM BEGAN TO DETERIORATE. THE HELICOPTER THEN CONTACTED THE GROUND IN A SLIGHT NOSE LOW ATTITUDE, AFTER WHICH, REAR CYCLIC WAS APPLIED. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES THEN SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM DUE TO THE LOW ROTOR RPM AND REAR CYCLIC INPUT. THE HELICOPTER SPUN APRX 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT & CAME TO REST.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,506 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 158 in the last 90 days; 144 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 52,404 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 19, 1986; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,575 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Helicopter Services,Of Jack.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 50,000 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:47 pm from CRG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N90270 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA87LA089.