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20040329005079I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Hughes 369E · Mendota, CA · March 29, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 29, 2004 · 18:52 local
Place
Mendota, CA
Airport
Mendota Airport
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
F1OM
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N921SD
Reported as
Hughes 369E
Reported engine
Allison 250C20
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,500 total3,200 in this make and model170 in the last 90 days
N921SDRegistered now · Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369ES/N 0428E · Built 1990Airframe modelMcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369EEngine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

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) Pilot and observer were conducting a law enforcement flight at 800' AGL approximately one mile from Mendota Airport when he noted a decay in power turbine (N2)/rotor (nr) RPM to 100%. He attempted to beep N2/NR to 102%-103% and was unsuccessful. Pilot turned towards Mendota Airport and descended for a precautionary landing. Noting the N2 governor circuit breaker (c/b) had tripped, he reset it and attempted to beep the N2/NR up to normal, which caused an uncommanded increase in N2/NR to 105%-106%. Pilot rolled the throttle toward the ground idle to obtain control of N2/NR speed. N921SD was now 5 feet to 6 feet over the Mendota Airport runway rapidly settling in a skids level attitude with 20 knots forward airspeed. Pilot increased collective pitch to cushion the landing while continuing to roll throttle off to control RPM overspeed. The helicopter landed on the left skid and bounced. It then struck hard on the right skid, which collapsed. The aircraft came to rest on the flir head, which prevented a main rotor strike. Pilot shut the engine down and exited the helicopter with observer after the rotor stopped.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT AND OBSERVER WERE CONDUCTING A LAW ENFORCEMENT FLIGHT AT 800' AGL APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE FROM MENDOTA AIRPORT WHEN HE NOTED A DECAY IN POWER TURBINE (N2)/ROTOR (NR) RPM TO 100%. HE ATTEMPTED TO BEEP N2/NR TO 102%-103% AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. PILOT TURNED TOWARDS MENDOTA AIRPORT AND DESCENDED FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. NOTING THE N2 GOVERNOR CIRCUIT BREAKER (C/B) HAD TRIPPED, HE RESET IT AND ATTEMPTED TO BEEP THE N2/NR UP TO NORMAL, WHICH CAUSED AN UNCOMMANDED INCREASE IN N2/NR TO 105%-106%. PILOT ROLLED THE THROTTLE TOWARD THE GROUND IDLE TO OBTAIN CONTROL OF N2/NR SPEED. N921SD WAS NOW 5 FEET TO 6 FEET OVER THE MENDOTA AIRPORT RUNWAY RAPIDLY SETTLING IN A SKIDS LEVEL ATTITUDE WITH 20 KNOTS FORWARD AIRSPEED. PILOT INCREASED COLLECTIVE PITCH TO CUSHION THE LANDING WHILE CONTINUING TO ROLL THROTTLE OFF TO CONTROL RPM OVERSPEED. THE HELICOPTER LANDED ON THE LEFT SKID AND BOUNCED. IT THEN STRUCK HARD ON THE RIGHT SKID, WHICH COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE FLIR HEAD, WHICH PREVENTED A MAIN ROTOR STRIKE. PILOT SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND EXITED THE HELICOPTER WITH OBSERVER AFTER THE ROTOR STOPPED.