# Accident 20010811018709A: Hughes 269C1, San Antonio, TX, August 11, 2001

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 11, 2001, 12:15 local time
- Place: San Antonio, TX
- Airport: Stinson Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Sfl Autorotation
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: J6LS
- Location: 29.3369° N, 98.4711° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.3369&lon=-98.4711&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1234X (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: HUGHES 269C1
- Reported engine: LYC HO360C1A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 9,115 total, 177 in this make and model, 145 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW01LA182](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01LA182) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010811018709A

## Narrative

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

(.19) ON AUGUST 11, 2001, APPROXIMATELY 1215 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A SCHWEITZER 269C-1 HELICOPTER, N1234X, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY STINSON AIR CENTER OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A HARD LANDING AT THE STINSON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) AND HIS STUDENT PILOT WERE NOT INJURED.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT.  THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT 1130.                                                         (-23) ON AUGUST 11, 2001, AT APPROX. 1230 CDT, A SCHWEIZER 269C-1 HELICOPTER, N1234X, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE LANDING AT SSF. THE HELICOPTER IS REGISTERED TO WARBIRD TRAINING, LLC., OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, AND OPERATED BY STINSON AIR CENTER OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOTS WERE NOT INJURED. VMC PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CFR, PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM SSF. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DEPARTED FROM SSF, CLOSED TRAFFIC, AND DEMONSTRATED 2 SIMULATED AUTOROTATION LANDINGS TO THE SOD AREA NORTHWEST OF THE RUNWAY INTERSECTION AT SSF WITHOUT INCIDENT. HE THEN COVERED THE CONTROLS WHILE SUPERVISING THE STUDENT IN THE PERFORMANCE OF A SIMULATED AUTOROTATIONAL LANDING AND UPON APPLICATION OF POWER TO TERMINATE THE MANEUVER, THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESPOND. THE ENSUING HARD LANDING CAUSED THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES TO FLEX DOWN CUTTING THROUGH THE TAILBOOM CAUSING DAMAGE TO ALL THREE MAIN ROTOR BLADES, SEPARATION OF THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX, AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE FRAME. THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE OR INJURY TO PERSONS ON THE GROUND. ELT INSTALLED BUT NOT TURNED ON. NO FIRE. NO NMAC. (.4) ON AUGUST 11, 2001, APPROXIMATELY 1215 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A SCHWEITZER 269C-1 HELICOPTER, N1234X, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY STINSON AIR CENTER OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A HARD LANDING AT THE STINSON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) AND HIS STUDENT PILOT WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGI                                                                NATED AT 1130. ABOUT 45 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE CFI DEMONSTRATED A POWER RECOVERY AUTOROTATION. HE THEN ALLOWED THE STUDENT TO PERFORM THE MANEUVER. THE CFI INFORMED THE STUDENT THAT HE "WOULD BE NEAR THE FLIGHT CONTROLS" AD HE WOULD ADVISE THE STUDENT ON CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TO TAKE DURING THE PRACTICE AUTOROTATION. FOLLOWING THE ENTRY INTO THE AUTOROTATION, THE CFI CHECKED THAT THE ENGINE AND ROTOR RPMS APPEARED TO BE NORMAL. AT APPROXIMATELY 10-15 FEET AGL, THE CFI INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT TO APPLY ENGINE POWER. THE ENGINE POWER DID NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE MOVEMENT SO THE CFI TOOK THE CONTROLS, AND IT APPEARED THAT THE ENGINE HAD "FAILED." THE HELICOPTER THEN LANDED "HARD" AND TURNED 180-DEGREES, RESULTING IN STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AND TAIL BOOM. THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS NOT DETERMINED.

## 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 FTW01LA182](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01LA182), Aug 11, 2001: Schweizer 269C-1 (N1234X), San Antonio, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: the loss of engine power while maneuvering for undetermined reasons.

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.

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