# Accident 20010923026969A: Hughes 369D, Carlsbad, CA, September 23, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 23, 2001, 12:37 local time - Place: Carlsbad, CA - Airport: Mcclellan-Palomar - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Sfl Autorotation - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: DCQS - Location: 33.1283° N, 117.2800° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.1283&lon=-117.2800&mi=10 - Aircraft: N268ST, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N268ST-2018-03-21) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Hughes Helicopters HUGHES 369D (registry code 4470706, https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-helicopters-hughes-369d) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Allison 250-C20 series (registry code 03020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: HUGHES 369D - Reported engine: ALLSN 250C* - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 15,127 total, 4,150 in this make and model, 205 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX01LA305](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA305) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010923026969A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2001, ABOUT 1315 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A HUGHES 369D, N268ST, OPERATED BY CIVIC HELICOPTERS, INC., CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, MADE A HARD LANDING AT THE PALOMAR AIRPORT, CARLSBAD. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. NEITHER THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI), WHO POSSESSES AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT CERTIFICATE, NOR THE STUDENT PILOT, WHO POSSESSES A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE, WAS INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM CARLSBAD ABOUT 1300. ACCORDING TO THE CFI, DURING A PRACTICE AUTOROTATION TO A LANDING HIS STUDENT ALLOWED THE MAIN ROTOR RPM TO DECAY. DURING THE TOUCHDOWN/LANDING SEQUENCE, A MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM. THE STUDENT REPORTED THAT HE WAS ACQUIRING REFRESHER FLIGHT TRAINING PROVIDED BY THE CFI. DURING THE FLIGHT, THE CFI SPECIFIED THE REQUISITE MANEUVER AND INDICATED HOW IT WAS TO BE PERFORMED. THE CFI INDICATED TO HIM THAT HE "WOULD ALSO BE ON THE CONTROLS" DURING THE MANEUVER. ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT, HE THOUGHT THAT DURING THE AUTOROTATION THE HELICOPTER WAS GOING TO TOUCHDOWN SHORT OF THE DESIGNATED LANDING SPOT, AND HE ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTION TO PERFORM A POWER RECOVERY. AT THIS TIME, THE CFI MANIPULATED THE CONTROLS TO EXTEND THE GLIDE DISTANCE, AND A POWER RECOVERY WAS NOT MADE. THE STUDENT FURTHER STATED THAT DURING TOUCHDOWN, A THUMPING NOISE WAS HEARD. DURING THE FLIGHT CREW'S SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE ASSESSMENT INSPECTION, EVIDENCE OF MAIN ROTOR BLADE IMPACT DAMAGE WAS NOTED. ALSO, THE TAIL BOOM WITH ITS HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL STABILIZERS HAD BEEN RELOCATED 180 DEGREES DOWNWARD. (-23) AIRCRAFT SKIDDED OFF END OF LANDING SURFACE WHILE PERFORMING TOUCHDOWN AUTOROTATION MANEUVERS AT HELICOPTER LANDING PAD 8 OF MCCLELLAN PALOMAR AIRPORT (CRQ). AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON PAD 8 AND CONTINUED TO SKID APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET BEYOND THE TOUCHDOWN POINT, EXITING THE HARD SURFACE OF THE LANDING PAD. ONCE BEYOND THE HARD SURFACE, THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM BLADES CONTACTED THE TAIL BOOM. FOLLOWING MAIN ROTOR BLADE CONTACT, THE TAIL BOOM FAILED, AND THE TAIL ROTOR SYSTEM ROTATED 90 DEGREES FROM IT'S NORMAL ORIENTATION. (.4) ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2001, ABOUT 1237 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A HUGHES 369D , N268ST, MADE A HARD LANDING AT THE PALOMAR AIRPORT, CARLSBAD. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. NEITHER THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI), WHO POSSESSED AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT CERTIFICATE, NOR THE STUDENT PILOT, WHO POSSESSED A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE, WAS INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATED BY CIVIC HELICOPTERS, INC., CARLSBAD. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM CARLSBAD ABOUT 1215. ACCORDING TO THE CFI, THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE HE WAS INSTRUCTING HIS STUDENT IN THE PERFORMANCE OF A FORCED LANDING. THE SPECIFIC MANEUVER INVOLVED A SIMULATED ENGINE FAILURE AT 500 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL FOLLOWED BY AN AUTOROTATION TO TOUCHDOWN. DURING THE AUTOROTATION, THE STUDENT ALLOWED THE MAIN ROTOR RPM TO DECAY BELOW 100 PERCENT. THE CFI ADDITIONALLY REPORTED THAT HE RECOGNIZED THE DESIRED TOUCHDOWN LOCATION WAS FARTHER THAN THEIR FLIGHT PROFILE WOULD ALLOW, SO HE ATTEMPTED TO "STRETCH THE GLIDE DISTANCE" BY USING COLLECTIVE. THE MAIN ROTOR RPM DECREASED, AND DURING THE TOUCHDOWN/LANDING SEQUENCE THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE IMPACTED THE TAIL BOOM. THE STUDENT STATED THAT HE WASACQUIRING REFRESHER FLIGHT TRAINING PROVIDED BY THE CFI. DURING THE FLIGHT, THE CFI SPECIFIED THE REQUISITE MANEUVER AND INDICATED HOW IT WAS TO BE PERFORMED. THE CFI INDICATED TO HIM THAT HE "WOULD ALSO BE ON THE CONTROLS" DURING THE MANEUVER. ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT, HE THOUGHT THAT DURING THE AUTOROTATION THE HELICOPTER WAS GOING TO TOUCHDOWN SHORT OF THE DESIGNATED LANDING SPOT, AND HE ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTION TO PERFORM A POWER RECOVERY. AT THIS TIME, THE CFI MANIPULATED THE CONTROLS TO EXTEND THE GLIDE DISTANCE, AND A POWER RECOVERY WAS NOT MADE. THE STUDENT FURTHER STATED THAT DURING TOUCHDOWN, A THUMPING NOISE WAS HEARD. DURING THE FLIGHT CREW'S SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE ASSESSMENT INSPECTION, EVIDENCE OF MAIN ROTOR BLADE IMPACT DAMAGE WAS NOTED. ALSO, THE TAIL BOOM WITH ITS HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL STABILIZERS HAD BEEN BENT 180 DEGREES DOWNWARD. THE AIRPORT MANAGER REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT 1237 HOURS. ## 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 LAX01LA305](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA305), Sep 23, 2001: Hughes 369D (N268ST), Carlsbad, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: A hard landing due to the dual student's failure to maintain main rotor speed, his improper landing flare, and the flight control interference by the flight instructor. ## Other reports on N268ST (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20051019026879A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20051019026879A), Oct 19, 2005: Hughes 369D (N268ST), Avalon, CA, Destroyed. (-23) On 10/19/2005 at approximately 1429 hrs PDT, a Hughes 369D, N268ST, collided with power lines during cruise flight and came to rest on the beach at big… 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.