19970917027049A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 269A · Tarpon Springs, FL · September 17, 1997

Date: September 17, 1997 · 11:00 local
Place: Tarpon Springs, FL
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N6786M
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA97TA246
Reported as: Hughes 269A
Reported engine: Lycoming HIO360B1A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 11,000 total300 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

N6786MRegistration cancelled Mar 5, 2001 · Hughes TH-55AS/N 68-16786 Airframe modelHughes TH-55A

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.

Engine quit on mosquito patrol. 200 ft over water autorated. Engine revived began climb. Skid hit water. (-23) on sept. 17, 1997 about 1103 eastern daylight time, a Hughes 269A helicopter, N6786M registered to paseo county mosquito control district, operating as a title 14 CFR part 91, local public use flight, lost engine power and made a forced landing in water near Tarpon Springs, FL. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The commercial rated pilot was not injured. The flight had originated from ancolote island, FL. The flight had departed the island after completing an inspection and was at low altitude, when the pilot reported that the engine lost power. The engine sputtered and reagined full power. The pilot was setting up for a autorotation when the helicopter contacted the water.

As the FAA filed it

ENGINE QUIT ON MOSQUITO PATROL. 200 FT OVER WATER AUTORATED. ENGINE REVIVED BEGAN CLIMB. SKID HIT WATER. (-23) ON SEPT. 17, 1997 ABOUT 1103 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HUGHES 269A HELICOPTER, N6786M REGISTERED TO PASEO COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT, OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, LOCAL PUBLIC USE FLIGHT, LOST ENGINE POWER AND MADE A FORCED LANDING IN WATER NEAR TARPON SPRINGS, FL. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED FROM ANCOLOTE ISLAND, FL. THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED THE ISLAND AFTER COMPLETING AN INSPECTION AND WAS AT LOW ALTITUDE, WHEN THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND REAGINED FULL POWER. THE PILOT WAS SETTING UP FOR A AUTOROTATION WHEN THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED THE WATER.

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 MIA97TA246Accident · No injuriesFinal reportTarpon Springs, FLthe loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.Sep 17, 1997 · Substantial damage