Hughes 269C accident near Snohomish, Washington, July 24, 2003
On July 24, 2003 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N53KF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Snohomish, Washington. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The dual students failure to maintain clearance from the terrain during the go-around from a simulated autorotational flare, and the instructor pilot's failure to take adequate remedial action to keep the dual student from allowing the aircraft to impact the terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 2003 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Snohomish, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N53KF · registry record · serial 51738
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student was executing a practice power-off autorotation, and during the go-around from the simulated landing flare he applied too much aft cyclic. The instructor, who was simultaneously applying a small amount of up collective to arrest a slight sink, did not take adequate remedial action to keep the student (who is a high-time fixed wing pilot) from applying too much aft cyclic. This resulted in the tail rotor of the helicopter impacting the ground, followed immediately by a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. Soon thereafter, the helicopter began to spin, and the instructor pilot took over total control and executed an emergency landing. After the aircraft's engine was shut down, it was determined that there was damage to both the tail rotor and tail boom.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 17,347 hours in all; 788 in this make and model; 17,124 as pilot in command; 9,706 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 12, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 5 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 30, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 15, 2003; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S43 Snohomish WA at 6:15 pm
- Destination: S43
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.