Hughes 269C accident near Arlington, Washington, July 10, 2004
On July 10, 2004 at about 3:10 am local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N56PH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arlington, 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
A significant power loss for undetermined reasons while in cruise flight, leading to a full autorotational landing. Factors include no suitable terrain in the area, and soft swampy terrain at the point where the pilot found it necessary to perform the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2004 · about 3:10 am local time
- Place
- Arlington, 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
- N56PH · registry record · serial 1441
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While cruising at about 2,500 feet above the ground (agl), the pilot heard a "pop" and felt the helicopter yaw to the right. Almost immediately he noticed that the engine was starting to lose power, and he therefore lowered the collective and initiated a partial autorotation. He then attempted to get the engine to accelerate, but he continued to hear "sputtering and popping," and the engine continued to gradually lose power. The pilot therefore elected to perform a full autorotational landing in a nearby opening in the heavily wooded area he was flying over. Although he was able to touch down with only a very slow forward speed, the terrain he was landing on turned out to be a wet and muddy bog or swamp, and as the helicopter touched down, one of the skids sunk into the mud, and the aircraft rolled over onto its side. A post-accident inspection of the helicopter's engine and fuel system by an FAA Airworthiness Inspector and a fixed base operator's (FBO's) maintenance personnel did not find any evidence of an anomaly that would have lead to a loss of power in the engine. After the initial inspection was completed, the engine was mounted on an engine stand and run at various speeds for a period of about eight minutes. During the test run, the engine started easily and ran smooth at all tested speeds up to and including a maximum of 3,100 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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,344 hours in all; 216 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 1,335 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BLI Bellingham WA at 2:15 am
- Destination: AWO Arlington WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.