# Accident 20020821021529A: Hughes 269C1, Andover, NJ, August 21, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 21, 2002, 10:00 local time - Place: Andover, NJ - Airport: Aeroflex-Andover Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Sfl Autorotation - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.0061° N, 74.7394° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.0061&lon=-74.7394&mi=10 - Aircraft: N6147L, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6147L-2017-07-14) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Schweizer 269C-1 (registry code 8059504, https://openairdocs.org/model/schweizer-269c-1) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming HO-360 series (registry code 41513, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ho-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: HUGHES 269C1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 11,700 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC02FA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC02FA171) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020821021529A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON AUGUST 21, 2002, ABOUT 0948 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A SCHWEIZER 269C-1, N6147L, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT LANDED HARD DURING A PRACTICE AUTOROTATION AT AEROFLEX-ANDOVER AIRPORT (12N), ANDOVER, NEW JERSEY. THE CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM ESSEX COUNTY AIRPORT (CDW), FAIRFIELD, NEW JERSEY. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, THEY WERE PRACTICING AUTOROTATIONS TO THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 03. THE HELICOPTER WAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 1,100 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), WHEN THE STUDENT PILOT REDUCED ENGINE POWER TO IDLE, AND LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE. HOWEVER, AROUND 800 FEET AGL, THE STUDENT PILOT RAISED THE COLLECTIVE TO THE FULL UP POSITION. THE MAIN ROTOR RPM DECAYED, AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY TOOK CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER. HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND INCREASED ENGINE POWER TO FULL THROTTLE. THE ENGINE RESPONDED; HOWEVER, THE VERTICAL VELOCITY OF THE HELICOPTER INCREASED, AND THE MAIN ROTOR RPM DID NOT RECOVER TO THE NORMAL OPERATING RANGE PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. ONE WITNESS WHO WAS IN THE REFUELING AREA, ABOUT 1,300 FEET FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE STATED: "...I OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER ON ITS THIRD FINAL APPROACH. ON SHORT FINAL, I OBSERVED THE LACK OF ENGINE NOISE. AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FT, THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED RAPIDLY IMPACTING THE END OF RUNWAY 03. UPON IMPACT THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE...." ANOTHER WITNESS WAS WAITING IN AN AIRPLANE ON THE TAXIWAY, ADJACENT TO THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 03. HE REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER APPEARED TO DROP IN FROM ABOUT 100 FEET. IT HIT TAIL FIRST, THEN ON THE LEFT SKID. IT SLID AND ROLLED OVER ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 03, WHERE THE TAXIWAY CONNECTED TO THE RUNWAY. THE FIRST POINT OF GROUND CONTACT OCCURRED ON ASPHALT, AND CONSISTED OF A RED PAINT TRANSFER, A GOUGE IN THE ASPHALT, AND AN OIL STAINED AREA. THE ONLY RED PAINT OBSERVED ON THE HELICOPTER WAS ON THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES. THE NEXT GROUND CONTACT POINT WAS 20 FEET BEYOND THE INITIAL GROUND CONTACT, PARALLEL TO THE LEFT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY, WHERE THERE WERE NUMEROUS GOUGES AND WHITE PAINT TRANSFER MARKS ON THE ASPHALT. THE HELICOPTER WAS LOCATED 63 FEET FROM THE INITIAL GROUND IMPACT MARK, LAYING ON ITS LEFT SIDE, ON A HEADING OF 170 DEGREES. THE BUBBLE CANOPY WAS SHATTERED. THE MIXTURE WAS FULL RICH, THE THROTTLE WAS FULL OPEN, AND THE FUEL SHUT OFF VALVE WAS OPEN. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY FOR THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WAS VERIFIED. ANTI-TORQUE PEDAL CONTROL WAS VERIFIED TO THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX WHERE THE ATTACH POINT FOR THE PITCH CHANGE CONTROL ROD WAS FRACTURED AND SEPARATED FROM THE GEAR BOX. THE PITCH LINK CONTROL RODS ON THE MAIN ROTOR AND TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE INTACT. ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE WAS BENT 90 DEGREES, OPPOSITE THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION, NEAR THE HUB. THE OTHER BLADE WAS NOT BENT. BOTH BLADES HAD LEADING EDGE IMPACT DAMAGE NEAR THE TIP. THE BLUE MAIN ROTOR BLADE WAS BENT ABOUT 18 INCHES OUTBOARD OF THE GRIP, AND FOLDED DOWN ABOUT 135 DEGREES FROM THE PLANE OF ROTATION. THE OUTBOARD 4 FEET OF THE BLADE WAS BENT UP ABOUT 30 DEGREES FROM THE PLANE OF ROTATION, AND CHORDWISE SCRAPE MARKS WERE VISIBLE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE OUTBOARD 8 INCHES OF THE BLADE. THE RED BLADE, NEXT IN ROTATION, WAS BENT DOWN ABOUT 30 DEGREES FROM THE PLANE OF ROTATION, OUTBOARD OF THE BLADE GRIP. THE WHITE BLADE, NEXT IN ROTATION, WAS NOT BENT DOWN. HOWEVER, THE PISTON FOR THE LEAD-LAG DAMPER WAS PULLED OUT OF THE CASE AND REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE BLADE. THE DRIVE BELTS BETWEEN THE TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE WERE INTACT AND DETACHED FROM THEIR PULLEYS. THE DRIVE SHAFT TO THE TAIL ROTOR WAS SEPARATED AT THE AFT SIDE OF THE PULLEYS TO THE MAIN TRANSMISSION. THE HOUSING OVER THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT WAS SEPARATED AT THE POINT WHERE THE FUSELAGE BRACES ATTACHED TO THE TAIL BOOM. LONGITUDINAL SCRAPE MARKS WERE VISIBLE ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FUSELAGE AND ENGINE. THE OIL QUICK-DRAIN ON THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE SUMP WAS FOUND IMBEDDED IN THE ASPHALT ALONG THE DEBRIS TRAIL. THE CARBURETOR WAS SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE SUMP; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE CONTROL CABLES TO THE CARBURETOR WERE ATTACHED. A WITNESS REPORTED THE SKY WAS CLEAR, AND THERE WAS A VARIABLE WIND FROM THE NORTH AT 5 KNOTS. THE CLOSEST RECORDED WEATHER WAS AT ESSEX COUNTY AIRPORT (CDW), FAIRFIELD, NEW JERSEY, 22 NAUTICAL MILES DISTANT, ON A MAGNETIC HEADING OF 123 DEGREES. THE 0953 WEATHER OBSERVATION FROM CDW, INCLUDED: SKY CLEAR, AND VARIABLE WIND AT 6 KNOTS. VISIBILITY WAS RECORDED AS 10 STATUTE MILES. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT HIS TOTAL FIGHT EXPERIENCE WAS IN EXCESS OF 11,000 HOURS, WITH 7,500 HOURS AS A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, INCLUDING 600 HOURS IN ROTORCRAFT, AND 400 HOURS IN MAKE AND MODEL. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS REPORTED TO BE IN THE PRE-SOLO STAGE OF TRAINING, WITH ABOUT 20 HOURS OF RECENT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE. (-23) INSTRUCTOR PILOT SAID HE INITIATED A STRAIGHT IN AUTOROTATION AT 1,100 FEET TO RUNWAY 03. AT APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET THE STUDENT PILOT RAISED THE COLLECTIVE PITCH TO THE FULL UP POSITION. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RECOVER THE AIRCRAFT BUT COULD NOT BEFORE IMPACT WITH THE SURFACE. ## 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 NYC02FA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC02FA171), Aug 21, 2002: Schweizer 269C-1 (N6147L), Andover, NJ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight instructor's delayed remedial action to correct the low rotor condition. A factor was the student pilot's improper use of the collective, which created the low rotor condition. 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.