Hughes 269C accident near Utica, New York, September 1, 1999
On September 1, 1999 at about 2:22 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N58397, was substantially damaged in an accident near Utica, New York (Oneida County 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
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter while maneuvering, which resulted in a hard landing. A factor in this accident was the pilot's lack of total experience in helicopters.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 1999 · about 2:22 pm local time
- Place
- Utica, New York · Oneida County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N58397 · registry record · serial 1090933
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot performed two uneventful quick stops. On the third quick stop, he lowered the collective 'too much with no forward motion' and the helicopter landed 'hard.' The helicopter's tail rotor contacted the taxiway and the aft portion of the helicopter's landing skid was pushed outward. Examination of the helicopter did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any. The pilot reported 20.6 hours of total flight experience in helicopters, all in the accident helicopter's make and model.
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, student
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 748 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 585 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,617 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 79 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Oriskany NY at 2:00 pm
- Destination: UCA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from UCA
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.
Other NTSB records under N58397 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.