Hughes 269C accident near Darrington, Washington, August 11, 2014
On August 11, 2014 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1976 Hughes 269C (helicopter), registered N7432F, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Darrington, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
Maintenance personnel’s failure to secure the throttle mount bracket during a recent engine installation, which resulted in the loss of throttle movement and an inability to control engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 2014 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Darrington, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269C, built 1976 · all 269Cs on the register
- Registration
- N7432F · no longer on the register · serial 160458
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was conducting a local, personal flight in the rented helicopter. The pilot reported that, while descending the helicopter from 5,000 ft and approaching 4,000 ft, he increased the collective and noticed that the engine was slowing down; he was unable to recover the engine rpm to a normal range. The helicopter continued to descend until the pilot entered an autorotation. The helicopter then impacted a tree and came to rest in a small stream. The pilot stated that he did not believe that the engine ever quit but that it did not produce enough power to continue flight. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that the throttle mount bracket was hanging by the throttle cable linkage and was not secured to the servo mount studs, which would have led to the loss of throttle movement for acceleration. The operator stated that the engine had been installed in the helicopter 10 flight hours before the accident. It is likely that maintenance personnel did not properly secure the throttle mount bracket during the engine installation, which led to the loss of throttle movement and inability to control engine power.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (descent) defining event
- Autorotation Off-field or emergency landing
- Autorotation Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Power lever › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Water/moisture › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 270 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 13, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,015 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 9, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 2,652 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S43 Snohomish WA at 3:15 pm
- Destination: S43 Snohomish WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from AWO, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.