Hughes 269A accident near Whitefish, Montana, April 17, 2005
On April 17, 2005 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Hughes 269A (helicopter), registered N7054C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Whitefish, Montana. 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 student pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter while hovering resulting in an in-flight collision with terrain. Gusting winds and the student pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions were contributing factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 2005 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Whitefish, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269A · all 269As on the register
- Registration
- N7054C · no longer on the register · serial 480831
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that he had just purchased this helicopter and had accumulated a total flight time of four hours in this make and model. Total flight time in all aircraft was reported as 41 hours. The student pilot stated that he was practicing hovering and hovering turns into a 'sporadic" north wind. The student pilot reported that he made a turn to the south, and "while doing so a gust of wind spun me to the east (loss of tail rotor effectiveness)." The right skid contacted the surface and the helicopter tipped to the right side. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter at the time of the accident.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 41 hours in all; 4 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Whitefish MT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N7054C 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.