Hughes 269C-1 accident near Scappoose, Oregon, July 29, 2003
On July 29, 2003 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Hughes 269C-1 (helicopter), registered N61442, was substantially damaged in an accident near Scappoose, Oregon (Scappoose Industrial Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The helicopter encountering a ground resonance condition following a failure to maintain hovering flight. Contributing factors to the accident included the pilot's failure to maintain rotor RPM and the high pressure state of the landing gear shock absorbing dampers.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 2003 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Scappoose, Oregon · Scappoose Industrial Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C-1 · all 269C-1s on the register
- Registration
- N61442 · no longer on the register · serial 0002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot initiated the flight at maximum gross weight. After picking the helicopter up to a hover and stabilizing RPM, the RPM began to dip. Unable to recover RPM, the helicopter settled to the ground and subsequently encountered a ground resonance condition. After closing the throttle and lowering the collective, the helicopter began to shudder and turned 45 degrees to the left before the ground resonance condition subsided. The pilot was successful in his attempt to pick the helicopter up again to a hover, stabilizing engine RPM, coming to a stable hover, and sustaining rotor RPM during a left pedal turn. While attempting forward flight from this position the helicopter's RPM dipped again, resulting in the pilot having to set the helicopter down again. The aircraft entered ground resonance a second time, this time worse than the first, resulting in the helicopter being shook apart around the pilot and his passenger. Post-accident tests indicated that all four landing gear dampers, having failed a load stroke test, were set too hard, resulting in a ground resonance condition being encountered after a landing due to reduced rotor RPM.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 200 hours in all; 187 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 125 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 7, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,724.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 17, 2003; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SBP Scappoose OR at 11:30 pm
- Destination: HIO Hillsboro OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from PKX
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.
Other NTSB records under N61442 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.