# Accident 19980410006479A: Hughes 269A, Emmett, ID, April 10, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 10, 1998, 16:30 local time
- Place: Emmett, ID
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Pinnacle Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.9800° N, 116.5196° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.9800&lon=-116.5196&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5161E, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5161E-1998-10-31) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hughes 269A (registry code 4470402, https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-269a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HUGHES 269A
- Reported engine: LYC HIO360B1A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 613 total, 17 in this make and model, 3 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA98LA063](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA063) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980410006479A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

DEMO PINNICLE LANDING. STUDENT ADVISED LOW RS. CFI LOWERED COLLECTIVE. HIT GROUND HARD. TUMBLED DOWN HILL. (.4)THE INSTRUCTOR AND THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED ON A TRAINING FLIGHT WITH THE INTENTION OF PRACTICING OFF AIRPORT LANDINGS. THE INSTRUCTOR MANEUVERED THE HELICOPTER TOWARDS A PLATEAU WITH CLIFFS ON THREE OF ITS SIDES, AND INITIATED A DEMONSTRATION OF A PINNACLE LANDING. HE THEN NOTICED THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EXCESSIVE SINK RATE AND WIND CHANGE AND ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT WITH COLLECTIVE AND THROTTLE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE REACHED THE STOP ON THE THROTTLE AND THE RPM BEGAN DECAYING. THE INSTRUCTOR LOWERED COLLECTIVE AND THE ROTORCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND HARD BOUNCING BACK INTO THE AIR 10-12 FEET BEFORE STRIKING THE GROUND A SECOND TIME, DURING WHICH THE TAIL ROTOR IMPACTED THE GROUND. DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST AND THE ROTORCRAFT ROLLED OVER THE EDGE OF THE PLATEAU AND DOWN A STEEPLY SLOPED EMBANKMENT. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT HAD LOGGED ONLY 3 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME, ALL IN THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT MAKE WITHIN THE PREVIOUS 90 DAYS. A WEATHER OBSERVATION RECORDED AT THE CALDWELL AIRPORT 11 NM SOUTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED WINDS FROM 110                                            DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 14 KNOTS. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE ROTORCRAFT DURING THE FLIGHT.                                                                       (-23)FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED HE WAS GOING TO DEMONSTRATE A PINNACLE TYPE LANDING.  DURING THE DESCENT THE STUDENT ALERTED INSTRUCTOR THAT THE ROTOR RPM WAS LOW.  INSTRUCTOR LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND INCREASED POWER.  INSTRUCTOR STATED THEY HIT THE GROUND VERY HARD AND BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR.  HE BELIEVES THE TAIL HIT THE GROUND AT THIS POINT AND THE AIRCRAFT ATARTED TO TURN.  THE NEXT GROUND CONTACT WAS THE LEFT SKID HEADING 180 FROM INITIAL GROUND IMPACT.  FROM THIS POINT AIRCRAFT TUMBLED APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET DOWN HILL.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA98LA063](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA063), Apr 10, 1998: Hughes 269A (N5161E), Emmett, ID, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The instructor pilot's failure to maintain the proper rate of descent on landing. Factors were a sudden wind shift, the instructor pilot's lack of recent experience, and terrain drop-off.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.