Hughes 269B accident near Hillsboro, Oregon, October 12, 1991
On October 12, 1991 at about 1:00 am local time, a Hughes 269B (helicopter), registered N9474F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hillsboro, Oregon. It was an other work-use 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 FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM. FACTORS INCLUDE INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING, OVERCONFIDENCE IN AIRCRAFT'S ABILITY, AND NON-SUITABLE TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 12, 1991 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Hillsboro, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269B · all 269Bs on the register
- Registration
- N9474F · registry record · serial 1160278
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE HUGHES 269B ALLOWED ROTOR RPM TO DROP OUT OF THE GREEN ARC, WHILE MANEUVERING OVER AN ORCHARD IN ORDER TO KNOCK HAZELNUTS OFF OF TREES WITH HIS ROTOR WASH. HE WAS UNABLE TO REDUCE COLLECTIVE BECAUSE OF THE TREES, AND HE COULD NOT ACCELERATE ENOUGH TO INCREASE ROTOR SPEED PRIOR TO SETTLING INTO THE ORCHARD. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD TAKEN ON A PASSENGER AND FILLED THE AIRCRAFT WITH FUEL, WITHOUT RECOMPUTING THE PERFORMANCE DATA.
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: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 547 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 429 as pilot in command; 78 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,525 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 16, 1991; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO360B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Precision Helicopters INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N9474F 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.