Hughes 369D accident near Petersburg, Alaska, September 9, 1989
On September 9, 1989 at about 1:30 am local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N1088N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Petersburg, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT FAILED TO OBTAIN CLEARANCE OVER TREES. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE AIRCRAFT BEING ABOVE ITS MAXIMUM CERTIFICATED GROSS WEIGHT LIMITATION AND THE TREES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 1989 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Petersburg, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N1088N · registry record · serial 300679D
- 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
AFTER PICKING UP PASSENGERS WITH EQUIPMENT, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TWICE TO LIFT OFF, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT, THE HELICOPTER ATTAINED AN ALTITUDE OF APRX 20 FT; HOWEVER, IT DID NOT CLEAR A LINE OF TREES LOCATED 50 FT FROM THE LIFT-OFF POINT AND 30 FEET IN HEIGHT. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE PASSENGERS AND EQUIPMENT WERE WEIGHED. THE HELICOPTER WAS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN OPERATING 200 POUNDS OVER ITS MAX GROSS WEIGHT LIMITATION. THERE WERE NO REPORTED MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS.
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: 7,700 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model; 257 in the last 90 days; 110 in the last 30 days; 7,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Temsco Helicopters INC.
The flight
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.