Hughes 500C accident near Darrington, Washington, April 19, 1982
On April 19, 1982 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Hughes 500C (helicopter), registered N9131F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Darrington, Washington. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 1982 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Darrington, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 500C
- Registration
- N9131F · no longer on the register · serial 230448S
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN APPROACH TO A 9100 FOOT HIGH SNOW COVERED LANDING SITE THE WIND SHIFTED TO A TAILWIND CONDITION. THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE AND ATTEMPTED A SKID ON LANDING. WHILE SKIDDING THROUGH THE SNOW THE LEFT SKID IMPACTED RISING TERRAIN UNDERNEATH A 12 INCH SNOW PACK. THE LEFT SKID SEPARATED UPWARDS AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER.
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; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,685 hours in all; 2,402 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 3,554 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,752 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 77 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Glacier WA at 9:55 am
- Destination: Mt. Baker WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.