20031007025059A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Hughes 269A · Ledges, AL · October 7, 2003

Date: October 7, 2003 · 09:35 local
Place: Ledges, AL
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N911HC
NTSB investigation: NTSBATL04LA011
Reported as: Hughes 269A
Reported engine: Lycoming HIO360*
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 500 total300 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days

N911HCRegistration cancelled Sep 6, 2019 · Hughes 269AS/N 67-15437 Airframe modelHughes 269A

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 helicopter tail rotor struck a tree approximately 60 feet above the ground while the aircraft was hovering in a backwards direction. The center of impact was in a nearly vertical direction, 46 feet from the tree that was struck. There was very little or any lateral motion when the aircraft struck the ground in a slightly tail low attitude and rolled on to the left side of fuselage. Weather was VMC, no clouds below 9000' AGL and surface winds at the nearest reporting facility less than 6 knots.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE HELICOPTER TAIL ROTOR STRUCK A TREE APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS HOVERING IN A BACKWARDS DIRECTION. THE CENTER OF IMPACT WAS IN A NEARLY VERTICAL DIRECTION, 46 FEET FROM THE TREE THAT WAS STRUCK. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE OR ANY LATERAL MOTION WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A SLIGHTLY TAIL LOW ATTITUDE AND ROLLED ON TO THE LEFT SIDE OF FUSELAGE. WEATHER WAS VMC, NO CLOUDS BELOW 9000' AGL AND SURFACE WINDS AT THE NEAREST REPORTING FACILITY LESS THAN 6 KNOTS.

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 ATL04LA011Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHuntsville, ALThe pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance while hovering out of ground effect, which resulted in a collision with a tree and subsequent uncontrolled collision with the ground.Oct 7, 2003 · Substantial damage