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19980102000039A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Hughes 269C · Riviera, TX · January 2, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 2, 1998 · 08:30 local
Place
Riviera, TX
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1091Y
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW98LA084
Reported as
Hughes 269C
Reported engine
Lycoming HIO360D1A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
567 total567 in this make and model254 in the last 90 days
N1091YRegistration cancelled Aug 27, 2013 · Hughes 269CS/N 411050 · Built 1981Airframe modelHughes 269CEngine 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.

Engine quit while herding cattle. Autorotated to hard landing main rotors chopped tail boom. (.4)following a total loss of engine power, during a cattle herding flight, the pilot executed an autorotation to an area confined by trees. Engine examination revealed a broken crankshaft and camshaft. The camshaft exhibited deformation consistent with overload. All four cylinder mounting flanges were freeted and all piston rings showed 'excessive' wear. The #1 and #4 cylinder top compression rings were broken. Main bearing saddle faces of the crankcase showed heavy freeting. The engine manufacturer materials laboratory reported the mode of fracture of the crankshaft was fatigue. The fatigue originated from the oil hole (between #3 main and #3 crankpin journals) in the cheek and near the rear fillet radius of the #3 main bearing journal. The cause of the fatigue was not determined. During the overhaul, the crankshaft received a magnaflux inspection and re-nitriding by an inspection facility. The engine was reassembled and returned to service by company maintenance personnel. The engine had 1150.6 hours since overhaul.

As the FAA filed it

ENGINE QUIT WHILE HERDING CATTLE. AUTOROTATED TO HARD LANDING MAIN ROTORS CHOPPED TAIL BOOM. (.4)FOLLOWING A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, DURING A CATTLE HERDING FLIGHT, THE PILOT EXECUTED AN AUTOROTATION TO AN AREA CONFINED BY TREES. ENGINE EXAMINATION REVEALED A BROKEN CRANKSHAFT AND CAMSHAFT. THE CAMSHAFT EXHIBITED DEFORMATION CONSISTENT WITH OVERLOAD. ALL FOUR CYLINDER MOUNTING FLANGES WERE FREETED AND ALL PISTON RINGS SHOWED 'EXCESSIVE' WEAR. THE #1 AND #4 CYLINDER TOP COMPRESSION RINGS WERE BROKEN. MAIN BEARING SADDLE FACES OF THE CRANKCASE SHOWED HEAVY FREETING. THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER MATERIALS LABORATORY REPORTED THE MODE OF FRACTURE OF THE CRANKSHAFT WAS FATIGUE. THE FATIGUE ORIGINATED FROM THE OIL HOLE (BETWEEN #3 MAIN AND #3 CRANKPIN JOURNALS) IN THE CHEEK AND NEAR THE REAR FILLET RADIUS OF THE #3 MAIN BEARING JOURNAL. THE CAUSE OF THE FATIGUE WAS NOT DETERMINED. DURING THE OVERHAUL, THE CRANKSHAFT RECEIVED A MAGNAFLUX INSPECTION AND RE-NITRIDING BY AN INSPECTION FACILITY. THE ENGINE WAS REASSEMBLED AND RETURNED TO SERVICE BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. THE ENGINE HAD 1150.6 HOURS SINCE OVERHAUL.

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 FTW98LA084Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportRiviera, TXThe total loss of engine power due to a fatigue failure of the crankshaft for undetermined reason. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.Jan 2, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N1091Y · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19971231046889ARiviera, TX(-23) On December 31, 1997, at 0830 CDT, a Hughes 269C helicopter, N1091Y registered to smith helicopters, inc., sustained substantial damage during an autorotation following a loss of engine power near Riviera, Texas. The commercial pilot and passenger were…Dec 31, 1997 · No damage