19970513039769A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Schweizer 269C-1 · Laredo, TX · May 13, 1997

Date: May 13, 1997 · 12:50 local
Place: Laredo, TX
Phase of flight: Pwr Off Run Land (Autorotation
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N107SM
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW97LA190
Reported engine: Lycoming HO360*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,516 total727 in this make and model68 in the last 90 days

N107SMRegistration cancelled Mar 11, 1999 · Schweizer 269C-1S/N 0011 Airframe modelSchweizer 269C-1

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.

Enigne quit on low level seismic survey flight. Rotor decay on autorotation. Water in fuel and at source. (-23) during cruise flight for a oil company survey the engine quite suddenly at an altitude of about 150 feet. The pilot did a 180 autorotate into the wind landing. The landing was very hard, the aircraft was substantially damaged. There were no injuries to the pilot or pax. On scene investigation revealed a substantial amount of water and other contamination in the fuel strainer. Investigation into the fueling procedure revealed the fuel storage tank at the remote site was contaminated with water and dirt. The filter used on the tank was improperly installed and the tank was located so the drain was above the lowest part of the tank.

As the FAA filed it

ENIGNE QUIT ON LOW LEVEL SEISMIC SURVEY FLIGHT. ROTOR DECAY ON AUTOROTATION. WATER IN FUEL AND AT SOURCE. (-23) DURING CRUISE FLIGHT FOR A OIL COMPANY SURVEY THE ENGINE QUITE SUDDENLY AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 150 FEET. THE PILOT DID A 180 AUTOROTATE INTO THE WIND LANDING. THE LANDING WAS VERY HARD, THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR PAX. ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF WATER AND OTHER CONTAMINATION IN THE FUEL STRAINER. INVESTIGATION INTO THE FUELING PROCEDURE REVEALED THE FUEL STORAGE TANK AT THE REMOTE SITE WAS CONTAMINATED WITH WATER AND DIRT. THE FILTER USED ON THE TANK WAS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED AND THE TANK WAS LOCATED SO THE DRAIN WAS ABOVE THE LOWEST PART OF THE TANK.

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 FTW97LA190Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLaredo, TXloss of engine power due to fuel contamination, and the pilot's failure to properly check the fuel system for evidence of water during the preflight inspection. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.May 13, 1997 · Substantial damage