20060526011919A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 269A · Harrisburg, NC · May 26, 2006

Date: May 26, 2006 · 11:30 local
Place: Harrisburg, NC
Phase of flight: Pwr Off Vert Land/Autorotate
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N269RS
NTSB investigation: NTSBATL06LA085
Reported as: Hughes 269A
Reported engine: Lycoming HIO360*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,991 total333 in this make and model73 in the last 90 days

N269RSRegistration cancelled Aug 13, 2013 · Hughes 269AS/N 580844 · Built 2000 Airframe modelHughes 269A Engine 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) Pilot was giving dual instruction. According to the pilot he was simulating an engine failure in order to instruct an autorotation. To accomplish this the instructor split the engine RPM and the rotor RPM to 2400 and 2900 respectively. According to the instructor the engine actually failed at that point. The instructor pilot said it went silent with no warning. The instructor pilot took over the controls and autorotated to a field. The field had high grass and an uneven surface. On touchdown the right skid dug into the ground and the helicopter rolled to its right and came to rest on its right side. The helicopter received substantial damage to its rotors, right skid and tail boom. The occupants were not injured. The post accident exam of the engine indicated no abnormalities.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS GIVING DUAL INSTRUCTION. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE WAS SIMULATING AN ENGINE FAILURE IN ORDER TO INSTRUCT AN AUTOROTATION. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS THE INSTRUCTOR SPLIT THE ENGINE RPM AND THE ROTOR RPM TO 2400 AND 2900 RESPECTIVELY. ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR THE ENGINE ACTUALLY FAILED AT THAT POINT. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT SAID IT WENT SILENT WITH NO WARNING. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS AND AUTOROTATED TO A FIELD. THE FIELD HAD HIGH GRASS AND AN UNEVEN SURFACE. ON TOUCHDOWN THE RIGHT SKID DUG INTO THE GROUND AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED TO ITS RIGHT AND CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE HELICOPTER RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO ITS ROTORS, RIGHT SKID AND TAIL BOOM. THE OCCUPANTS WERE NOT INJURED. THE POST ACCIDENT EXAM OF THE ENGINE INDICATED NO ABNORMALITIES.

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 ATL06LA085Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportConcord, NCThe loss of engine power for undetermined reasons while maneuvering, resulting in a forced landing to uneven terrain and a roll over.May 26, 2006 · Substantial damage