Hughes 300C accident near Vero Beach, Florida, March 2, 1990
On March 2, 1990 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Hughes 300C (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 FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND/INSTRUCTOR PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ROTOR RPM AFTER LANDING FROM A TOUCHDOWN AUTOROTATION. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE GUSTY WIND CONDITION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 1990 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · Vero Beach
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 300C
- 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
THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND THE RATED HELICOPTER PILOT WERE PRACTICING TOUCHDOWN AUTOROTATIONS. AFTER A LANDING AND GROUND SLIDE, THEY BOTH NOTED VIBRATIONS, THEN SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND EXITED THE HELICOPTER. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES HAD STRUCK THE TAILBOOM AND SEVERED THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT. THE WIND AT 1450 CST WAS FROM 140 DEG AT 16 GUSTING 22 KTS.
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: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 650 hours in all; 327 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 550 as pilot in command; 220 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,467 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 25, 1990; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VRB at 7:00 pm
- Destination: VRB
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11L, 3,504 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 16 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from VRB
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.