OpenAirDocs.org

20030410007149A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Hughes 269B · Auburn, CA · April 10, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
April 10, 2003 · 17:30 local
Place
Auburn, CA
Airport
Auburn Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
In Traffic Pattern-Circling
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N16133
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX03FA134
Reported as
Hughes 269B
Reported engine
Lycoming HIO360*
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
N16133Registration cancelled Jun 9, 2004 · Hughes 269BS/N 180348 · Built 1968Airframe modelHughes 269BEngine modelLycoming HIO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The instructor was regarded as "highly experienced, professional, and extremely safety conscious." The helicopter's tail moved from side to side and then it nosed over and impacted on its right side. It impacted in wise canal which feeds into rock creek reservoir approximately 100 yards downstream. Dive crews removed the occupant. The aircraft was removed the next day by a helicopter/sling operation. The wreckage was examined on 4-12-03. No obvious anomalies were noted by either the airframe or engine representatives. Some components were forwarded for further examination. One item of note is that the aft tube cluster fittings displayed corrosion in the lower ends of the tubes. Some tubes had lost as much as half their wall thickness (determined by naked eye and 10X glass). The most corroded tubes showed different failure indicators than the tubes with less corrosion. These cluster assemblies were also sent off for analysis. A safety recommendation will be made concerning the corrosion of these cluster assemblies. If any other information is received by this office this report will be revised.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE INSTRUCTOR WAS REGARDED AS "HIGHLY EXPERIENCED, PROFESSIONAL, AND EXTREMELY SAFETY CONSCIOUS." THE HELICOPTER'S TAIL MOVED FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND THEN IT NOSED OVER AND IMPACTED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. IT IMPACTED IN WISE CANAL WHICH FEEDS INTO ROCK CREEK RESERVOIR APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS DOWNSTREAM. DIVE CREWS REMOVED THE OCCUPANT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED THE NEXT DAY BY A HELICOPTER/SLING OPERATION. THE WRECKAGE WAS EXAMINED ON 4-12-03. NO OBVIOUS ANOMALIES WERE NOTED BY EITHER THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE REPRESENTATIVES. SOME COMPONENTS WERE FORWARDED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. ONE ITEM OF NOTE IS THAT THE AFT TUBE CLUSTER FITTINGS DISPLAYED CORROSION IN THE LOWER ENDS OF THE TUBES. SOME TUBES HAD LOST AS MUCH AS HALF THEIR WALL THICKNESS (DETERMINED BY NAKED EYE AND 10X GLASS). THE MOST CORRODED TUBES SHOWED DIFFERENT FAILURE INDICATORS THAN THE TUBES WITH LESS CORROSION. THESE CLUSTER ASSEMBLIES WERE ALSO SENT OFF FOR ANALYSIS. A SAFETY RECOMMENDATION WILL BE MADE CONCERNING THE CORROSION OF THESE CLUSTER ASSEMBLIES. IF ANY OTHER INFORMATION IS RECEIVED BY THIS OFFICE THIS REPORT WILL BE REVISED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX03FA134Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportAuburn, CAthe misjudged flare maneuver by an unknown crewmember during a likely practice autorotation that resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain.Apr 11, 2003 · Destroyed