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19990310002129A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Hughes 269C · Laredo, TX · March 10, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 10, 1999 · 09:10 local
Place
Laredo, TX
Phase of flight
Hovering
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N36254
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW99LA092
Reported as
Hughes 269C
Reported engine
Lycoming HIO360D1A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
17,500 total8,000 in this make and model
N36254Registration cancelled Aug 5, 2021 · Schweizer HUGHES 269CS/N S1186Airframe modelSchweizer HUGHES 269C

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.

Hughes 269C helicopter was involved in aerial application when it lost power and crashed, other circumstances are unknown. (.19) on March 10, 0910 central standard time, a Schweizer Hughes 269C helicopter, N36254, was substantially damaged furing a forced landing following a loss of power while at a hover near Laredo, Texas. The commercial rated pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulation (CFR) part 91 local flight. The helicopter was registered to and operated by smith helicopters, inc. of Laredo, Texas. The aircraft was contracted by a rancher to aid in herding cattle. During a telephone interview conducted by the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the pilot stated that he was at a 50 foot hover over a creek when he heard "loud banging," followed by a loss of engine power. The pilot then tried to apply full power, but the engine did not respond. The pilot then executed a "right turn and set the helicopter down hard in the creek." Examination of the helicopter by an FAA inspector revealed that both landing skids had separated, the center frame was twisted, the bottom of the cabin nose was bent, and the main and tail rotor blades were damaged. Initial examination of the engine revealed that the crackshaft would not rotate. (.4)the helicopter was at a 50-foot hover over a creek when the pilot heard a loud banging, followed by a loss of engine power. The pilot executed a right pedal turn and set the helicopter down hard in a creek. Examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft was separated at the number 3 main bearing journal to number 3 connecting rod journal crossover cheek. A magnaflux examination of the crankshaft revealed that the number 3 main bearing journal displayed lateral cracks. Examination of the crankshaft fracture surfaces revealed that the crankshaft had failed in fatigue. The fracture features were damaged near the origin area; however, 'nearby crack arrest positions clearly indicated crack initiation from at least two locations on the journal surface near the crank cheek.' Examination of the number 3 bearing shell halves revealed that 'one shell had shifted relative to the other when the damage occurred.' (-23)helicopter was about 65 feet above ground. Engine made a loud noise and helicopter lost power and landed in brush. There was substantial damages to landing gear and cabin deck. The tail rotor was destroyed in bush. There were no injuries to pilot or passenger. The investigation revealed that the engine froze. The engine was sent to avco Lycoming for tear down. There was no fire or injuries.

As the FAA filed it

HUGHES 269C HELICOPTER WAS INVOLVED IN AERIAL APPLICATION WHEN IT LOST POWER AND CRASHED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON MARCH 10, 0910 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A SCHWEIZER HUGHES 269C HELICOPTER, N36254, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF POWER WHILE AT A HOVER NEAR LAREDO, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATION (CFR) PART 91 LOCAL FLIGHT. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY SMITH HELICOPTERS, INC. OF LAREDO, TEXAS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONTRACTED BY A RANCHER TO AID IN HERDING CATTLE. DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS AT A 50 FOOT HOVER OVER A CREEK WHEN HE HEARD "LOUD BANGING," FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT THEN TRIED TO APPLY FULL POWER, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. THE PILOT THEN EXECUTED A "RIGHT TURN AND SET THE HELICOPTER DOWN HARD IN THE CREEK." EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT BOTH LANDING SKIDS HAD SEPARATED, THE CENTER FRAME WAS TWISTED, THE BOTTOM OF THE CABIN NOSE WAS BENT, AND THE MAIN AND TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE DAMAGED. INITIAL EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE CRACKSHAFT WOULD NOT ROTATE. (.4)THE HELICOPTER WAS AT A 50-FOOT HOVER OVER A CREEK WHEN THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANGING, FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT EXECUTED A RIGHT PEDAL TURN AND SET THE HELICOPTER DOWN HARD IN A CREEK. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT WAS SEPARATED AT THE NUMBER 3 MAIN BEARING JOURNAL TO NUMBER 3 CONNECTING ROD JOURNAL CROSSOVER CHEEK. A MAGNAFLUX EXAMINATION OF THE CRANKSHAFT REVEALED THAT THE NUMBER 3 MAIN BEARING JOURNAL DISPLAYED LATERAL CRACKS. EXAMINATION OF THE CRANKSHAFT FRACTURE SURFACES REVEALED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT HAD FAILED IN FATIGUE. THE FRACTURE FEATURES WERE DAMAGED NEAR THE ORIGIN AREA; HOWEVER, 'NEARBY CRACK ARREST POSITIONS CLEARLY INDICATED CRACK INITIATION FROM AT LEAST TWO LOCATIONS ON THE JOURNAL SURFACE NEAR THE CRANK CHEEK.' EXAMINATION OF THE NUMBER 3 BEARING SHELL HALVES REVEALED THAT 'ONE SHELL HAD SHIFTED RELATIVE TO THE OTHER WHEN THE DAMAGE OCCURRED.' (-23)HELICOPTER WAS ABOUT 65 FEET ABOVE GROUND. ENGINE MADE A LOUD NOISE AND HELICOPTER LOST POWER AND LANDED IN BRUSH. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGES TO LANDING GEAR AND CABIN DECK. THE TAIL ROTOR WAS DESTROYED IN BUSH. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO PILOT OR PASSENGER. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE FROZE. THE ENGINE WAS SENT TO AVCO LYCOMING FOR TEAR DOWN. THERE WAS NO FIRE OR INJURIES.

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 FTW99LA092Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLaredo, TXThe loss of engine power due to a bearing shift, which resulted in fatigue cracking of the crankshaft and subsequent failure of the crankshaft. A factor was a lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.Mar 10, 1999 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N36254 · 1

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

Accident 20081231856849AHovering · Panama City Be, FL(-23) Pilot stated he was in a 50 ft hover looking at an alligator. He stated he was starting to pitch forward and pull in some power when he experienced an uncommanded yaw to the right. He applied left pedal but the helicopter continued to spin violently. He…Dec 31, 2008 · Substantial damage