Hughes 269A accident near Covington, Washington, August 10, 2002
On August 10, 2002 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Hughes 269A (helicopter), registered N90271, was substantially damaged in an accident near Covington, Washington (Crest Airpark 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Aircraft control not maintained while hovering.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2002 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Covington, Washington · Crest Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269A · all 269As on the register
- Registration
- N90271 · registry record · serial 65-18261
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In a written statement the student pilot reported that the accident flight was his first attempt to hover the helicopter, solo. He reported that after his instructor exited the helicopter, and as he raised the collective in preparation for takeoff "The helicopter jumped into the air and moved to the right." He said that he inadvertently over corrected for the situation, and the helicopter started to move toward where his instructor was standing. In an effort to control the movement of the helicopter he "...immediately pulled the cyclic to rear." The helicopter's tail rotor subsequently struck the ground, and sustained substantial damage.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 28 hours in all; 27 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,309 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 2001; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,384 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S36 Covington WA at 4:45 pm
- Destination: S36
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,200 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from SEA, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA02LA150.