N90570 – HUGHES 269C – 2013-03-25 NTSB Accident Report

On March 25, 2013, a Hughes 269C (N90570) was involved in an incident near Rialto, CA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The student pilot’s failure to maintain helicopter control while maneuvering in a hover.

According to the student pilot, he reported that while in a hover prior to departure, he attempted a 360-degree right pedal turn. About 180 degrees into the turn, the rotation speed started to increase. The pilot thought his reaction to the increased rotation speed was not as decisive as it should have been, which resulted in the helicopter departing controlled flight. The pilot stated that he did not press on the left pedal; instead he released pressure on the right pedal. The helicopter came to rest upright after impacting the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the tail rotor drive shaft and boom. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR13CA160. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N90570.