Hughes 369D accident near Mulina, Oregon, November 26, 1990
On November 26, 1990 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N1106Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mulina, Oregon (None airport). It was an other work-use flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 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
IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH A REBOUNDING LONG-LINE, WHICH CAUSED MAIN-ROTOR RPM DECAY AND TAIL-BOOM SEPARATION, COMPROMISING THE PILOT'S ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISH AN ATTEMPTED AUTOROTATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 26, 1990 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mulina, Oregon · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N1106Z · registry record · serial 210900D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HUGHES 369D HELICOPTER CRASHED WHILE CONDUCTING CHRISTMAS TREE EXTERNAL-LOAD OPERATIONS WHEN A CHOKER ATTACHED TO A LONG- LINE EXTERNAL HOOK SNAGGED ON AN UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT AND SNAPPED THE REMOTE HOOK INTO THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, A POWER-ON AUTOROTATION WAS ATTEMPTED, BUT DUE TO LOW ROTOR RPM, THE MAIN BLADES CHOPPED OFF THE TAIL BOOM.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,700 hours in all; 2,700 in this make and model; 162 in the last 90 days; 61 in the last 30 days; 8,340 as pilot in command; 1,030 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no 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-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Temesco Helicopters INC
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 3:15 pm
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,500 ft; not recorded
- 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 N1106Z the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA91LA023.