Hughes 269B incident near Mcminnville, Oregon, March 5, 1993
On March 5, 1993 at about 7:25 pm local time, a Hughes 269B (helicopter), registered N9474F, suffered minor damage in an incident near Mcminnville, Oregon (Mcminnvile Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
AN INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL, AND INADEQUATE REMEDIAL ACTION. FACTORS INCLUDE A TAILWIND, AND GUSTS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 1993 · about 7:25 pm local time
- Place
- Mcminnville, Oregon · Mcminnvile Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- 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 116-0278
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT APPROXIMATELY TEN FEET AGL AND TEN KNOTS FORWARD AIRSPEED, THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS TRANSITIONING FROM A DOWNWIND HOVER TO FORWARD FLIGHT, ROTATED QUICKLY TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MAKE A PARTIAL RECOVERY, BUT THEN LOST CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER. THE AIRCRAFT THEN DESCENDED TO THE RIGHT, IMPACTING THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE INSPECTOR PILOT, WHO HAD ROLLED OFF A LITTLE THROTTLE WHEN THE PILOT FIRST LOST CONTROL, MOVED THE THROTTLE TO OFF JUST PRIOR TO GROUND IMPACT.
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: 400 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,710 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 2, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Precision Helicopters INC.
The flight
- Departed from: MMV at 7:25 pm
- Destination: 1S7 Newberg OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 4,660 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 5 knots, gusting 7
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.