20010709017809A

(-23) On July 9, 2001, at 1725 EST, a Hughes 269A (TH-55), s/n 760622, N7028V, registered to and operated by Mr. Mark r. parker, experienced a crash landing in the hamlin marsh in clay, NY, while inbound to the Syracuse Hancock International Airport, Syracuse, NY. Mr. Parker's statement said "I was making an approach into Hancock international airport at 5:10 pm in my Hughes 269 helicopter, when I heard a bang. I was on tower frequency at the time. I then told tower I wanted toland immediately. I picked a spot to land and did a 180 degree turn to the west. I looked back at my tail rotor blades and they were spinning, but I had no tail rotor pedal authority whatsoever. I immediately dropped the collective, keeping forward air speed with a spot I wanted to land in sight, when I approached my spot I had to bleed off some air speed, then the helicopter immediately started to do 360 degree turns. Everything seemed blurry; we were spinning so fast. I kept, to the best of my ability, rotor RPM, keeping the helicopter upright. When I was approximately 30-50 feet above the ground, I pulled the collective to cushion my fall. The helicopter landed in soft terrain and fell to its side. Passenger and myself walked away with minor injuries." The investigation revealed the left side center frame aft cluster fitting p/n 269A2234 was cracked, allowing the boom to become misaligned, which caused the tail rotor drive shaft to rub against the tail boom's forward bulkhead until the tail rotor driveshaft separated into two pieces; which caused the helicopter to lose tail rotor pedal authority. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and there was no IFR flight plan. The aircraft was demolished and there were minor injuries to the pilot and passenger. The flight originated at the fulton/oswego county airport July 9, 2001 at approximately 1700 EST.