NTSB LAX90LA191 — 1990-05-24 · MADERA, California, United States

N530R has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (JAY CHARLES MORGAN MORGAN), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N530R Hughes 369FF None

Probable cause & findings

THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN ENCOUNTERED BY THE PILOT WHEN HE TURNED DURING THE AUTOROTATIVE DESCENT TO AVOID OBSTACLES.

Factual narrative

THE HELICOPTER LOST POWER DURING AN OUT OF GROUND EFFECT (OGE) HOVER, AUTOROTATED TO A CULTIVATED FIELD, AND ROLLED ONTO ITS SIDE. THE HELICOPTER HOVERED AT 110 FEET PREPARING TO HOOK UP AN EXTERNAL LOAD. THE PILOT HEARD A 'WHOOSH' SOUND AND ENTERED AUTOROTATION WITH TURN. THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE HELICOPTER ABOUT 180 DEGREES DUE TO OBSTACLES AND AUTOROTATED INTO A SOFT PLOWED FIELD. THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN WITH FORWARD MOMENTUM. THE HELICOPTER THEN PITCHED TAIL UP ALLOWING THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE MAIN ROTOR DISK TO STRIKE THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER THEN ROLLED ONTO ITS SIDE. EXAMINATION OF THE MAINTENANCE AND FLIGHT DEPARTMENT RECORDS REVEALED NO UNRESOLVED MAINTENANCE DISCREPANCIES AGAINST THE HELICOPTER BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE HELICOPTER ENGINE WAS EXAMINED. THE ENGINE WAS PLACED IN A TEST CELL AND WAS RUN IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT FUEL FLOW CONFIGURATIONS. THERE WERE NO DEFICIENCIES NOTED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_LAX90LA191.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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