Hughes 500 accident near Carnation, Washington, September 10, 2002
On September 10, 2002, a Hughes 500 (helicopter), registered N9263F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Carnation, Washington. It was a personal 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 delayed power application during a practice power recovery autorotation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 2002
- Place
- Carnation, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 500
- Registration
- N9263F · no longer on the register · serial 450736
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot stated that he was practicing power recovery autorotations to an open field. He said that during the second practice autorotation, he inadvertently delayed adding power during the flare, and the helicopter touched down in a nose-high attitude. During the hard landing, the main rotor blades contacted the helicopter's tail boom resulting in 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 805 hours in all; 685 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 805 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 14, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,785 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 2001; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison C 20-B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 92WA Issaquah WA at 11:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 210 knots, gusting 3
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
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.