Hughes 269A accident near Cottondale, Florida, August 10, 1996
On August 10, 1996 at about 7:25 pm local time, a Hughes 269A (helicopter), registered N8784F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cottondale, Florida (Helicopter Tech. Heliport airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
improper assembly of the main rotor blade dampners by a mechanic which resulted in the helicopter being damaged by ground resonance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 1996 · about 7:25 pm local time
- Place
- Cottondale, Florida · Helicopter Tech. Heliport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269A · all 269As on the register
- Registration
- N8784F · no longer on the register · serial 72-0110
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The main rotor blade dampners had been overhauled just before the flight. After liftoff, the pilot began to feel severe vertical and lateral vibrations. He noticed that one rotor blade was tracking 12-18 inches out of the normal plane. As the pilot set the helicopter down, it began to come apart due to ground resonance. Examination of the main rotor blade dampners by an FAA inspector showed they had not been reassembled in accordance with the manufacturers maintenance manual. The maintenance manual stated that an improper assembly of the blade dampners could lead to ground resonance and destruction of the helicopter.
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: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,554 hours in all; 1,280 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 8,340 as pilot in command; 6,450 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,575 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Helicopter Technologies, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from TLH, 55 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N8784F 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.