Hughes 269C accident near Spring House, Pennsylvania, August 10, 1983
On August 10, 1983 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N1093Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spring House, Pennsylvania. 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 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 10, 1983 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Spring House, Pennsylvania · 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
- N1093Y · registry record · serial 1045
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER DURING A PRACTICE DEMONSTRATION AUTOROTATION LANDING. THE CFI WAS AT THE CONTROLS WITH THE STUDENT FOLLOWING THROUGH. ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR THE STUDENT OVERRODE THE CONTROLS JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN WITH TOO MUCH CYCLIC. THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK HIGH GRASS AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED RIGHT ONTO ITS SIDE.
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: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 820 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 740 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 725 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, May 1, 1983; 650 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,900 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N48 Horsham PA at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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 N1093Y 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.