How many accidents has the Hughes 269 had?

The NTSB has recorded 390 events involving the Hughes 269: 42 fatal, 44 serious, 88 minor injuries, and 211 incidents with no injuries.

Is the Hughes 269 a safe aircraft?

Safety depends on many factors beyond the aircraft model, including pilot training, maintenance, and weather conditions. The Hughes 269 has 390 NTSB-recorded events. Always review individual reports for context — many events involve pilot error or weather, not aircraft defects.

Hughes 269 Safety Record

Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 390 events recorded from 1982 to 2026.

390

All Events

211

Incidents

Minor

Serious

Fatal (61 fatalities)

Date	Location	Reg#	Severity	Damage	Probable Cause
Aug 01, 1992	AURORA, IL	N58335	Incident	substantial	FATIGUE FRACTURE OF THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER. FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S EXCESSIVE DESCENT AND HIS LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE.
Apr 18, 1992	SILVERTON, OR	N9675F	Incident	substantial	INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND PREPARATION. A FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: VISUAL LOOKOUT WAS NOT MAINTAINED.
Oct 12, 1991	HILLSBORO, OR	N9474F	Incident	substantial	THE FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM. FACTORS INCLUDE INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING, OVERCONFIDENCE IN AIRCRAFT'S ABILITY, AND NON-SUITABLE TERRAIN.
Aug 18, 1991	NO. LITTLE ROCK, AR	N65372	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN MAIN ROTOR RPM, HIS DELAYED FLARE, AND THE IMPROPER TOUCHDOWN.
May 18, 1991	TARPON SPRINGS, FL	N10MY	Incident	substantial	DELAY BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO APPLY ADEQUATE THROTTLE & COLLECTIVE DURING TRANSITION OFF A DOCK FOR A TAKEOFF OVER A LAKE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACC… DELAY BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO APPLY ADEQUATE THROTTLE & COLLECTIVE DURING TRANSITION OFF A DOCK FOR A TAKEOFF OVER A LAKE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS HIS LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OPERATION.
May 14, 1991	GRAND RONDE, OR	N9506F	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY INTERFERED WITH THE CONTROLS.
May 05, 1991	LINCOLN PARK, NJ	N3TL	Incident	substantial	AN INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL DURING A HOVER DUE TO IMPROPER USE OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS BY THE PILOT AND THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO COMPLETELY USE THE … AN INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL DURING A HOVER DUE TO IMPROPER USE OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS BY THE PILOT AND THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO COMPLETELY USE THE MINIMAL VISUAL REFERENCES AVAILABLE.
Mar 30, 1991	HONOLULU, HI	N8656F	Incident	destroyed	THE INSTRUCTOR'S IMPROPERLY PLANNED APPROACH. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBSERVE PERFORMANCE DATA FOR THE HELICOPTER.
Mar 16, 1991	ADDISON, TX	N62269	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING LANDING.
Feb 18, 1991	KNOWLES, OK	N8973F	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER DESCENT RATE DURING THE MANEUVER AND HIS DELAY IN INITIATING THE GO-AROUND.
Jan 02, 1991	DELAND, FL	N9574F	Incident	substantial	FAILURE OF THE COMMERCIAL PILOT APPLICANT TO PULL COLLECTIVE PITCH AND DELAY BY THE CHECK AIRMAN TO PULL COLLECTIVE AND APPLY POWER TO RECOVER, RESULT… FAILURE OF THE COMMERCIAL PILOT APPLICANT TO PULL COLLECTIVE PITCH AND DELAY BY THE CHECK AIRMAN TO PULL COLLECTIVE AND APPLY POWER TO RECOVER, RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING.
Dec 26, 1990	SELLERSBURG, IN	N90270	Incident	substantial	A PILOT INDUCED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER BY INADVERTENT DEACTIVATION OF THE FUEL MIXTURE CONTROL.
Nov 15, 1990	LOUISVILLE, KY	N9280F	Incident	substantial	FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER 1 CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD.
Jun 22, 1990	SALUDA, SC	N7448F	Incident	substantial	PILOT'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY PLAN FOR HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE OPERATIONS, WHICH RESULTED IN SETTLING WITH POWER TO THE GROUND.
Jun 07, 1990	PASO ROBLES, CA	N691RR	Incident	substantial	THIS ACCIDENT WAS DYNAMIC ROLLOVER DUE TO THE TERRAIN SLOPE EXCEEDING THE CAPABILITY OF THE HELICOPTER.
May 23, 1990	RIALTO, CA	N7441F	Incident	substantial	IMPROPER MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO TROUBLESHOOT A REPORTED DEFICIENCY AND THE PILOT'S DECISION TO DEMONSTRATE THE VIBRATION, E… IMPROPER MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO TROUBLESHOOT A REPORTED DEFICIENCY AND THE PILOT'S DECISION TO DEMONSTRATE THE VIBRATION, EXCEEDING THE DESIGN LIMITS OF THE HELICOPTER AND INDUCING GROUND RESONANCE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LOW NITROGEN CHARGE OF THE LANDING GEAR DAMPERS.
May 22, 1990	BREMERTON, WA	N8888F	Incident	substantial	FAILURE OF THE TAIL ROTOR CONTROL FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON.
Feb 24, 1990	HOUMA, LA	N7504A	Incident	substantial	LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON.
Feb 10, 1990	ENCINAL, TX	N58204	Incident	substantial	THE LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE TAIL ROTOR CABLE.
Jan 06, 1990	RIALTO, CA	N7456F	Incident	destroyed	THE LACK OF ADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLIGHT WHEN HE ALLOWED A STUDENT TO PERFORM IN AN UNSAFE MANNER WI… THE LACK OF ADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLIGHT WHEN HE ALLOWED A STUDENT TO PERFORM IN AN UNSAFE MANNER WITHOUT TAKING IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION.
Sep 28, 1989	BLOOMINGTON, MN	N95KS	Incident	substantial	FAILURE OF THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT. THE LIGHT CONDITIONS AT DAWN AND THE VEHICLES WERE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Aug 19, 1989	SALUDA, SC	N8773F	Incident	substantial	STUDENT PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS DURING LIFT-OFF AND INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR.
Jul 01, 1989	BALTIMORE, MD	N1113Z	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT LANDED ON UNSUITABLE SOFT TERRAIN WHICH CAUSED THE LANDING SKID TO SINK INTO THE GROUND. THIS RESULTED IN A LANDING SKID OVERLOAD FAILURE AN… THE PILOT LANDED ON UNSUITABLE SOFT TERRAIN WHICH CAUSED THE LANDING SKID TO SINK INTO THE GROUND. THIS RESULTED IN A LANDING SKID OVERLOAD FAILURE AND NOSE OVER OF THE HELICOPTER. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE SOFT TERRAIN.
Jun 06, 1989	MILLERSVILLE, IL	N7439F	Incident	destroyed	LOSS OF ROTOR RPM FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON DURING A TURN TO REVERSE DIRECTION WHILE APPLYING AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS.
May 27, 1989	SWANTON, VT	CFBMF	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL.

Disclaimer: This data is sourced from the NTSB Aviation Accident Database. NTSB events reflect reported accidents and incidents and do not necessarily indicate a defect in the aircraft type. Many events involve pilot error, weather conditions, maintenance issues, or other factors unrelated to the aircraft design. This information is provided for research purposes only — consult official NTSB reports for complete details.

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Data source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database · About our data

Hughes 269 Safety Record

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