On September 11, 1986, a Hughes 269C (registration N58323) operated by Flight Trails, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Carlsbad, CA. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A helicopter on a local instructional flight was damaged after skids contacted brush during a hover demonstration. The main rotor blades struck the ground following a loss of control.
Accident Details
A helicopter on a local instructional flight departed from Palomar Airport (CRQ) in Carlsbad, California. The flight was the second for a dual student. After the lesson, the student asked the certified flight instructor (CFI) to demonstrate hovering.
Event Sequence
The CFI performed an autorotation with a power-on recovery over Batiquitos Lagoon, a marshy swamp area covered with high brush. After recovering from the autorotation, the instructor attempted forward flight. During this attempt, the helicopter's skids made contact with the high brush. The helicopter then pitched downward, and the application of aft cyclic control was unable to stop the descent. The main rotor blades subsequently struck the ground.
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