Hughes 269C accident near Three Forks, Montana, July 30, 2007
On July 30, 2007 at about 1:30 am local time, a Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N428MS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Three Forks, Montana (Three Forks airport). 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 student pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft during autorotation. The flight instructor's inadequate supervision was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 2007 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Three Forks, Montana · Three Forks · 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
- N428MS · registry record · serial S1424
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor reported that during a training flight, while practicing an autorotation, the student began the cyclic flare and the tail of the rotorcraft struck the runway. The power recovery was initiated by the student and the instructor began to assist on the controls. The instructor reported that there was very little tail rotor effectiveness and that the aircraft then began to spin, made contact again with the ground and came to rest on its left side. The pilot reported no mechanical failure or malfunction with the helicopter prior to 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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 476 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 114 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 216 hours in all; 88 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9S5 Three Forks MT
- Destination: 9S5 Three Forks MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 5,100 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from 32N
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.