19960418007849A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 269C · Silver, TX · April 18, 1996

Date: April 18, 1996 · 10:46 local
Place: Silver, TX
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N430CK
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW96LA174
Reported as: Hughes 269C
Fatal injuries: 0

N430CKRegistration cancelled Mar 19, 2002 · Schweizer 269CS/N S1642 · Built 1993 Airframe modelSchweizer 269C Engine modelLycoming HIO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft was hovering lowin winds, roter RPM dropped too low to recover, crashed into brush and trees. (-23) helo on ranch surveillance searching for coyote killing livestock. Helo in low hover. Rotor RPM dropped too low to recover. Left skid contacted cedar tree on the way down cuasing helo to impact the ground, with the engine developing considerable power, on its right side.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS HOVERING LOWIN WINDS, ROTER RPM DROPPED TOO LOW TO RECOVER, CRASHED INTO BRUSH AND TREES. (-23) HELO ON RANCH SURVEILLANCE SEARCHING FOR COYOTE KILLING LIVESTOCK. HELO IN LOW HOVER. ROTOR RPM DROPPED TOO LOW TO RECOVER. LEFT SKID CONTACTED CEDAR TREE ON THE WAY DOWN CUASING HELO TO IMPACT THE GROUND, WITH THE ENGINE DEVELOPING CONSIDERABLE POWER, ON ITS RIGHT SIDE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW96LA174Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSilver, TXthe pilot's failure to maintain adequate rotor RPM.Apr 18, 1996 · Substantial damage