Hughes 269C accident near Marblemount, Washington, July 25, 2003
On July 25, 2003 at about 2:00 am local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N500HS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marblemount, Washington. It was a personal 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 partial failure of a magneto during hover taxi over water, leading to a forced landing in shallow water near the shoreline. Factors include the aircraft being over a lake at the time that the partial loss of power made it impossible to keep it airborne.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2003 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Marblemount, 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
- N500HS · registry record · serial 170554
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Once he arrived in the area of the lake where he was planning on camping, the pilot made two high reconnaissance passes in order to look the area over before descending to a lower level so he could take a closer look at possible camping sites along the lake's edge. The pilot completed a systems flow check prior to initiating a hover taxi over the lake, and then once the hover was established, the oil pressure and oil temperature was rechecked. The pilot then began "hovering down the middle of the lake," looking at possible landing sites, but ultimately, when he reached the far end of the lake, he decided that the best spot was at the other end where he had first passed over the shoreline. Just about the time he was getting ready to turn back, he noticed a gradual drop in engine rpm's, and the aircraft began to slowly descend toward the surface of the lake. Although he increased the throttle, he was unable to increase or stabilize the rpm, and the helicopter eventually settled into the water in a level and upright position. The rpm had initially been 3,200, but by the time the aircraft touched the surface of the water it had dropped to 2,400. Ultimately the aircraft came to rest upright on its skids in about six to eight feet of water, but the main rotor blades were damaged when they contacted the water's surface. As part of the investigative process, the older left magneto was removed from the aircraft and tested at various rpm’s (the right magneto was newly installed, and not removed for testing). During the subject testing, the left magneto performed erratically, and did not produce a consistent continuous spark at high rpm's. After the testing was terminated, the magneto was disassembled and inspected, but the specific reason for its inconsistent performance was not able to be determined.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,520 hours in all; 82 in this make and model; 170 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 2,393 as pilot in command; 629 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 11, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,137 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 10, 2003; 8.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BVS Skagit Regional WA at 1:00 am
- Destination: Marblemount WA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.