Plane Crash List

Hughes 269B N9375S

25 May 1994 · Toulon, Illinois, United States · Minor injuries

Summary

On 25 May 1994 at about 23:30 local time, a Hughes 269B registered N9375S, operated by Dwain Webster, was involved in an accident near Toulon, Illinois, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 23:30
Classification
Accident
Location
Toulon, Illinois, United States
Nearest airport
Dwain Webster Farm
Coordinates
41.0895, -89.8604
Aircraft
Hughes 269B
Registration
N9375S
Category
Helicopter
Engines
1
Operator
Dwain Webster
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Unknown
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Aircraft damage
Destroyed
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
CHI94LA175

People

2 people had minor injuries.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
2 0 0 2 0

Probable cause

the improper reassembly of the main rotor blade dampers and the underservicing of the landing gear skid hydraulic struts which resulted in ground resonance of the helicopter when the first takeoff after reassembly was attempted.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE HELICOPTER HAD BEEN REASSEMBLED AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION, WITH INSTALLATION OF 3 OVERHAULED MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE DAMPERS HAD BEEN DISASSEMBLED, INSPECTED AND REASSEMBLED. DURING REASSEMBLY, THE INTERNAL SEQUENCE OF FRICTION DISCS WAS INCORRECT, RESULTING IN IMPROPER AND NON- UNIFORM DAMPING ACTION BETWEEN THE BLADES. THE SHOCK STRUT OLEOS WERE NOT SERVICED. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED LOW PRESSURE IN THE 3 REMAINING INTACT STRUTS. DURING THE FIRST TAKEOFF AFTER REASSEMBLY TO TRACK THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES IN A HOVER, THE HELICOPTER ENCOUNTERED GROUND RESONANCE AND WAS DESTROYED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Hughes 269 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
10 Oct 1994 Hughes 269C
N9616F
Livingston, Texas, United States - No injuries -
2 Mar 1994 Hughes 269C
N9593F
Merced, California, United States
no coordinates
William C. Moore Minor injuries -
8 Nov 1994 Hughes 269A
N10415
Monticello, Arkansas, United States Ark-la-Tex Helicopters, Inc. No injuries -
14 May 1994 Hughes 269A
N5002J
Aripeka, Florida, United States Pasco County Sheriff's Dept. Unknown -
1 Aug 1994 Hughes 269A
N9062G
Leander, Louisiana, United States
no coordinates
- No injuries -
2 Nov 1994 Hughes 269C
N9294F
Garden City, Kansas, United States - Unknown -

All 1,213 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
16 Jul 1994 Piper PA-28-140
N7079R
Kankakee, Illinois, United States Koerner Aviation, Inc. Minor injuries -
17 Jul 1994 Cessna 150
N3639V
Alton, Illinois, United States - No injuries -
19 Apr 1994 Remote Sensing CIRRUS VK-30
N108P
Lk In the Hills, Illinois, United States - Fatal 2
22 Jul 1994 Cessna 175
N7101M
Cottage Hill, Illinois, United States - Serious injuries -
15 Jul 1994 Piper PA-22
N8512C
Harvard, Illinois, United States Edwin D. Swart No injuries -
5 Jul 1994 Hucke Ronald L PARSON-2P
N589RH
Monmouth, Illinois, United States - Minor injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States