# Accident 20020324004179A: Hughes 269C, Bessemer, AL, March 24, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 24, 2002, 17:20 local time - Place: Bessemer, AL - Airport: Bessemer Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Sfl Autorotation - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.3128° N, 86.9261° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3128&lon=-86.9261&mi=10 - Aircraft: N7490F, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7490F) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Hughes 269C (registry code 4470504, https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-269c) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming HIO-360 series (registry code 41524, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-hio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: HUGHES 269C - Reported engine: LYC HIO360D1A - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,800 total, 535 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA02LA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA02LA070) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020324004179A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) DUAL FLIGHT INSTRUCTION PERIOD TO PRACTICE AUTOROTATIONS WITH POWER RECOVERIES. STUDENT OVER CONTROLLED WITH AFT CYCLIC, RESULTING IN TAIL BOOM GROUND STRIKE. HELICOPTER SETTLED TO GROUND, ROLLING TO RIGHT, INCURRING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (.19) ON MARCH 24, 2001, ABOUT 1720 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A HUGHES HU-269C, N7490F, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED IN THE VICINITY OF BESSEMER, ALABAMA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE ROTORCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR, THE STUDENT WAS PRACTICING POWER OFF AUTOROTATIONS TO A GRASSY AREA BETWEEN RUNWAY 23 AND THE TAXIWAY. ON THIS PARTICULAR AUTOROTATION, AS THE STUDENT WAS APPLYING BACK CYCLIC, THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM, THE CRAFT STARTING SPINNING TO THE RIGHT, STRUCK THE TERRAIN, AND ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THERE WERE NO MALFUNCTIONS OF THE ROTORCRAFT OR ITS COMPONENTS INVOLVED. (.4) ON MARCH 24, 2002, ABOUT 1725 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A HUGHES HU-269C, N7490F, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED ON THE BESSEMER AIRPORT, BESSEMER, ALABAMA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE ROTORCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 25 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR, THE STUDENT WAS PRACTICING POWER OFF AUTOROTATIONS TO A POWER ON RECOVERY, TERMINATING IN A 3-FOOT HOVER OVER A GRASSY AREA BETWEEN RUNWAY 23 AND THE TAXIWAY. ON THIS PARTICULAR AUTOROTATION, THE STUDENT DID NOT APPLY POWER TO ACCOMPLISH THE RECOVERY, AND THE CFI BROUGHT IN THE POWER TO SALVAGE THE MANEUVER. THE STUDENT APPLIED ABRUPT BACK CYCLIC, AND THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND, EVEN THOUGH THE CFI WAS RIDING THE CYCLIC CONTROLS WITH THE STUDENT. FOLLOWING THE TAIL ROTOR STRIKE, THE ROTORCRAFT STARTED SPINNING TO THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT LANDING SKID DUG INTO THE TERRAIN, AND THE ROTORCRAFT ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THERE WERE NO MALFUNCTIONS OF THE ROTORCRAFT OR ITS COMPONENTS INVOLVED. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR, THE STUDENT INDUCED THE TAIL ROTOR STRIKE BY OVER CONTROLLING THE CYCLIC CONTROL IN THE AFT DIRECTION. THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF CONTROL RESTS WITH THE CFI, WHO ALLOWED THE MANEUVER TO PROGRESS TO A POINT THAT POSSIBLY EXCEEDED HIS ABILITY TO IDENTIFY AND SAFELY RECOVER. ## 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 MIA02LA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA02LA070), Mar 24, 2002: Hughes 269C (N7490F), Bessemer, AL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the flight instructor to adequately monitor the student's rotorcraft control, resulting in an abrupt cyclic input causing a tail rotor strike of the terrain while entering a hover, and… ## Other reports on N7490F (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19930815035909I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930815035909I), Aug 15, 1993: Hughes 269C (N7490F), Hot Springs, AR, Minor damage. While flying a photo mission over lake the pilot struck wires. Returned to airport safely. 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.