Hughes 369HS accident near North Adams, Massachusetts, November 15, 1989
On November 15, 1989 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Hughes 369HS (helicopter), registered N9208F, was destroyed in an accident near North Adams, Massachusetts (Harriman-And-West airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) TO ASSURE PROPER ROTOR RPM AND PROPER OPERATION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS DURING AN APPROACH IN GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE PIC'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 1989 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- North Adams, Massachusetts · Harriman-And-West
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369HS · all 369HSs on the register
- Registration
- N9208F · no longer on the register · serial 8406285
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLTS WERE MAKING APCHS TO THE ARPT, WHEN THE HELICOPTER'S MAIN ROTOR BLADES HIT THE TAIL BOOM & THE TAIL ROTOR SEPD. THE HELICOPTER THEN WENT OUT OF CONTROL & IMPACTED ON SLOPING TERRAIN NEAR THE APCH END OF RWY 11. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT OR ENG WAS FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATION. THE PLT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) HAD A COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE WITH AIRPLANE SINGLE/MULTI-ENG LAND & INSTRUMENT RATINGS, BUT HE HELD ONLY A PRIVATE CERTIFICATE FOR ROTORCRAFT/HELICOPTERS. ON THE ACDNT FLT, HE OCCUPIED THE RGT PLT SEAT, WHILE THE OTHER PLT WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT. THIS HELICOPTER IS NORMALLY FLOWN FROM THE LEFT SEAT. THE LEFT SEAT OCCUPANT HAD AN ATP CERTIFICATE FOR MULTI-ENG LAND AIRPLANES & WAS GETTING READY FOR A CHECK FLT TO OBTAIN A PRIVATE ROTORCRAFT RATING. MANUFACTURING PSNL AT MCDONNELL DOUGLAS RPRTD THAT THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WOULD NOT STRIKE THE TAIL BOOM, IF THE ROTOR RPM WAS ABOVE 90%. APRX 28 WEST AT ALBANY, THE 1550 EST WIND WAS FROM 160 DEG AT 16 GUSTING 23 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: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 741 hours in all; 43 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 607 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,344 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1989; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: King Services INC.
The flight
- Departed from: OWD Norwood MA at 6:33 pm
- Destination: Troy NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 4,300 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 16 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from ALB, 28 miles away
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.
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.