Hughes 269A N8784F
10 August 1996 · Cottondale, Florida, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 10 August 1996 at about 19:25 local time, a Hughes 269A registered N8784F, operated by Helicopter Technologies, Inc., was involved in an accident near Cottondale, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:25
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Cottondale, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Helicopter Tech. Heliport
- Coordinates
- 30.7909, -85.3695
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269A
- Registration
- N8784F
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Helicopter Technologies, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA96LA209
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
improper assembly of the main rotor blade dampners by a mechanic which resulted in the helicopter being damaged by ground resonance.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The main rotor blade dampners had been overhauled just before the flight. After liftoff, the pilot began to feel severe vertical and lateral vibrations. He noticed that one rotor blade was tracking 12-18 inches out of the normal plane. As the pilot set the helicopter down, it began to come apart due to ground resonance. Examination of the main rotor blade dampners by an FAA inspector showed they had not been reassembled in accordance with the manufacturers maintenance manual. The maintenance manual stated that an improper assembly of the blade dampners could lead to ground resonance and destruction of the helicopter.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hughes 269 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep 1996 | Hughes 269C | Houston, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Feb 1996 | Hughes 269A | Dallas, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Aug 1996 | Hughes 269A | Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Jun 1996 | Hughes 269B | Georgetown, California, United States | Erik Vandagriff | No injuries | - |
| 4 Dec 1996 | Hughes 269C | Mayfield, Kentucky, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jun 1996 | Hughes 269C | Eldon, Washington, United States | Olympic Air, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
All 1,213 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Mar 1996 | Cessna 150M | Ormond Beach, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Mar 1996 | Cessna 152 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Mar 1996 | Robinson R-22-BETA | Bunnell, Florida, United States | International Helicopter Acad. | No injuries | - |
| 24 Mar 1996 | Cessna 150F | Ocala, Florida, United States | TOM McGhee Aircraft | No injuries | - |
| 22 Mar 1996 | Cessna 172N | New Smyrna Bch, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Mar 1996 | Enstrom F-28C | Defuniak Spring, Florida, United States | Robert D. Duda | Minor injuries | - |