# Accident 20010709017809A: Hughes 269A, Syracuse, NY, July 9, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 9, 2001, 15:17 local time - Place: Syracuse, NY - Airport: Syracuse Hancock International - Damage: No damage - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 43.1806° N, 76.1702° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.1806&lon=-76.1702&mi=10 - Aircraft: N7028V, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7028V-2004-11-10) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Hughes 269A (registry code 4470402, https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-269a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming HIO-360 series (registry code 41524, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-hio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: HUGHES 269A - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC01LA167](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC01LA167) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010709017809A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-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. ## 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 NYC01LA167](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC01LA167), Jul 9, 2001: Hughes 269A (N7028V), Clay, NY, substantial damage. Probable cause: Failure of the left aft cluster fitting due to a fatigue crack. Factors in the accident were the mechanic's failure to identify the crack at the last annual inspection, and the pilot's failure to… ## Other reports on N7028V (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19880821034519A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880821034519A), Aug 21, 1988: Hughes 269A (N7028V), Pittstown, NJ, Substantial damage. Demonstrating a departure autorotation. Developed high sink rate with low air speed, low rotor RPM. Impacted ground. 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.