Hughes 269B accident near Honesdale, Pennsylvania, July 22, 1995
On July 22, 1995 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Hughes 269B (helicopter), registered N9483F, was destroyed in an accident near Honesdale, Pennsylvania (Evergreen Heliport airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Corrosion and subsequent failure of the attaching lugs for the left (4H) shock strut assembly, which resulted in collapse of the landing gear/skid.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 1995 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Honesdale, Pennsylvania · Evergreen Heliport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269B · all 269Bs on the register
- Registration
- N9483F · no longer on the register · serial 1260289
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that after takeoff from the heliport, 'He felt a low frequency vibration.' He elected to return to the heliport to determine the cause of the vibration. After the pilot landed, he had the collective positioned to full down when the helicopter began a violent forward and aft gyration. The main rotors struck the ground. Examination of the landing skids revealed that the left (4H) shock strut assembly had separated from the landing skid due to severe exfoiliation corrosion at both attaching lugs. All three remaining struts were attached.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 242 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 125 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,640 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P48 at 9:28 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 30 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.