OpenAirDocs.org

20010621013419I

Incident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Hughes 269C · Mesa, AZ · June 21, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 21, 2001 · 14:40 local
Place
Mesa, AZ
Airport
Falcon Field Airport
Phase of flight
Autorot Descent (Rotorcraft)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N891CP
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX01LA216
Reported as
Hughes 269C
Reported engine
Lycoming HIO360D1A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,900 total400 in this make and model175 in the last 90 days

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.

(-23) During an instructional flight, the PIC was demonstrating a normal approach for landing. At approx 200 ft (AGL) the engine "afterfired". Without attempting to roll-on throttle, the PIC split the tach needles and entered autorotation. A subsequent hard landing caused substantial damage to the helicopter. There were no personal injuries or fire. Further investigat ion, including a successful engine run, revealed no obvious mechanical problems at this time. (.19) on June 21, 2001, at 1440 hours mountain standard time, a Schweizer 269C, N891CP, landed hard on the helipad at Falcon Field Airport, Mesa, Arizona. The helicopter, operated under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, sustained substantial damage to the tail boom. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area instructional flight, and a flight plan had not been filed. The flight departed Falcon field at an unknown time and was scheduled to terminate at the airport. According to the CFI, the engine failed during landing and the helicopter landed hard.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, THE PIC WAS DEMONSTRATING A NORMAL APPROACH FOR LANDING. AT APPROX 200 FT (AGL) THE ENGINE "AFTERFIRED". WITHOUT ATTEMPTING TO ROLL-ON THROTTLE, THE PIC SPLIT THE TACH NEEDLES AND ENTERED AUTOROTATION. A SUBSEQUENT HARD LANDING CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES OR FIRE. FURTHER INVESTIGAT ION, INCLUDING A SUCCESSFUL ENGINE RUN, REVEALED NO OBVIOUS MECHANICAL PROBLEMS AT THIS TIME. (.19) ON JUNE 21, 2001, AT 1440 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A SCHWEIZER 269C, N891CP, LANDED HARD ON THE HELIPAD AT FALCON FIELD AIRPORT, MESA, ARIZONA. THE HELICOPTER, OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) AND STUDENT PILOT WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, AND A FLIGHT PLAN HAD NOT BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FALCON FIELD AT AN UNKNOWN TIME AND WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATE AT THE AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO THE CFI, THE ENGINE FAILED DURING LANDING AND THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD.

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 LAX01LA216Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMesa, AZa loss of power for unexplained reasons. Also causal was the CFI's operation of the helicopter in a region of the height/velocity curve where a successful autorotation could not be accomplished. A factor in the accident was the high density altitude.Jun 21, 2001 · Substantial damage