20030724018179A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 269C · Olsen Lake, WA · July 24, 2003

Date: July 24, 2003 · 18:30 local
Place: Olsen Lake, WA
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N500HS
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA03LA156
Reported as: Hughes 269C
Reported engine: Lycoming HIO360D1A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,300 total80 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N500HSRegistered now · Hughes 269CS/N 170554 Airframe modelHughes 269C

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) While hovering over lake looking for a place to land pilot experienced gradual RPM decrease and put the rotorcraft down in the water. Olsen Lake is at 4264 feet elevation. Tail rotor contacted water resulting in sudden stoppage. Engine submerged while running. Aircraft was partially submerged. Pilot and pax hiked out of area leaving the rotorcraft in the lake for recovery. Day was warm and sunny. No gusting winds reported.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE HOVERING OVER LAKE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND PILOT EXPERIENCED GRADUAL RPM DECREASE AND PUT THE ROTORCRAFT DOWN IN THE WATER. OLSEN LAKE IS AT 4264 FEET ELEVATION. TAIL ROTOR CONTACTED WATER RESULTING IN SUDDEN STOPPAGE. ENGINE SUBMERGED WHILE RUNNING. AIRCRAFT WAS PARTIALLY SUBMERGED. PILOT AND PAX HIKED OUT OF AREA LEAVING THE ROTORCRAFT IN THE LAKE FOR RECOVERY. DAY WAS WARM AND SUNNY. NO GUSTING WINDS REPORTED.

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 SEA03LA156Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMarblemount, WAThe partial failure of a magneto during hover taxi over water, leading to a forced landing in shallow water near the shoreline. Factors include the aircraft being over a lake at the time that the partial loss of power made it impossible to keep it airborne.Jul 25, 2003 · Substantial damage