Hughes 269C accident near Witts Springs, Arkansas, August 29, 1984
On August 29, 1984 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N7487F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Witts Springs, Arkansas (Russellisville Municipal airport). It was an aerial observation 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 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
- August 29, 1984 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Witts Springs, Arkansas · Russellisville Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N7487F · no longer on the register · serial 470589
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE MANUEVERING AT AN ALT OF 35 TO 40 FT ABOVE TREE THE PLT FELT A SHUTTER AND LOW FREQUENCY SHAKING OF THE ROTOR DISK. ROTOR RPM AND ENGINE RPM DECREASED AND THE ACFT ENTERED A SHALLOW DESCENT. THE PLT APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC, REDUCED COLLECTIVE AND INCREASED THROTTLE. WITH INSUFFICIENT ALT TO RECOVER THE PLT MANEUVERED THE ACFT AWAY FROM TALL TREES AND SETTLED THE ACFT INTO AN AREA OF SMALL TREES. NO MECHANICAL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. THE ALT AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS 2000 FT MSL WITH A DENSITY ALT OF APRX 4500 FT MSL.
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; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,128 hours in all; 138 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 1,365 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,200 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 30, 1984; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Russellville AR at 6:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; not recorded at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 102°F (39°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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 N7487F 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.