Hughes 269C accident near Fort Pierce, Florida, May 9, 1990
On May 9, 1990 at about 8:03 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N58275, was destroyed in an accident near Fort Pierce, Florida (St Lucie County Intl airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER TOUCHDOWN DURING THE AUTOROTATION BY THE DUAL STUDENT (ATP), HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN RUNWAY ALIGNMENT, INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE CFI, AND INADEQUATE CREW COORDINATION. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE OBSTRUCTION (TAXIWAY LIGHT).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 1990 · about 8:03 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Pierce, Florida · St Lucie County Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N58275 · no longer on the register · serial 1190849
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER WAS ON A VFR CLIMBOUT FROM A PARALLEL TAXIWAY. THE CFI, WHO WAS ALSO THE PIC, WAS PROVIDING INSTRUCTION TO AN ATP WORKING TOWARDS A CFI RATING. THE CFI INITIATED A SIMULATED ENGINE FAILURE AT 200 FEET AGL AND 60 KTS. THE ATP BEGAN AN AUTOROTATION. AFTER COMPLETING THE DECELERATION AND INITIAL PITCH PULL, THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED THE GROUND, BOUNCED UP, AND SLID TO THE RIGHT AND REARWARD. THE ATP SAW A TAXIWAY LIGHT AND INCREASED COLLECTIVE TO AVOID A COLLISION, BUT EXPERIENCED RESISTANCE ON THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. THE CFI HAD NOT SEEN THE TAXIWAY LIGHT, BUT NOTICED A DECAY IN ENGINE/ROTOR RPM. HE IMMEDIATELY APPLIED DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON THE COLLECTIVE AND LEFT FORWARD CYCLIC TO STOP THE HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT AND LEVEL THE HELICOPTER. THE CFI STATED THAT HE INFORMED THE ATP, HE HAD THE FLIGHT CONTROLS, WHICH COULD NOT BE SUBSTANTIATED BY THE ATP. THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE TAXIWAY LIGHT AND TAXIWAY WITH THE RIGHT SKID, THEN ENTERED A DYNAMIC ROLLOVER.
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: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 2,700 as pilot in command; 1,300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,559 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 4, 1990; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flight Safety International
The flight
- Departed from: VRB Vero Beach FL at 7:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 4,776 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:07 pm from FPR
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.