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20080423833539A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Hughes 269A · Killeen, TX · April 23, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 23, 2008 · 17:15 local
Place
Killeen, TX
Airport
Skylark Field
Phase of flight
Sfl Autorotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N9064N
NTSB investigation
NTSBDFW08CA114
Reported as
Hughes 269A
Reported engine
Lycoming HIO360*
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
515 total55 in this make and model55 in the last 90 days
N9064NRegistration cancelled Nov 25, 2014 · Hughes 269AS/N 96-0657 · Built 1966Airframe modelHughes 269AEngine 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 pilot privacy data omitted, a private helicopter pilot, working towards his commercial pilot certificate, and privacy data omitted, CFI helicopter, were the pilots aboard N9064N. They stated that they planned the flight on April 23rd to work on power off landings/autorotations. In flight, after two normal landings, a power off approach/autorotation was initiated. The instructor and student stated that they failed to insure that proper RPM was maintained during the power off approach. The student stated that he attempted to adjust for poor approach execution at low altitude by changing his landing spot when he realized that they might hit some of the runway lighting and that both pilots allowed further rotor RPM decay to the point that application of full power failed to arrest the descent rate. The helicopter impacted the ground in a nose high attitude, damaging the support structure for the skids which then spread apart allowing the tail rotor to strike the ground. The tail boom separated and the helicopter rolled onto its left side. Both pilots stated that they exited the aircraft uninjured.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A PRIVATE HELICOPTER PILOT, WORKING TOWARDS HIS COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE, AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, CFI HELICOPTER, WERE THE PILOTS ABOARD N9064N. THEY STATED THAT THEY PLANNED THE FLIGHT ON APRIL 23RD TO WORK ON POWER OFF LANDINGS/AUTOROTATIONS. IN FLIGHT, AFTER TWO NORMAL LANDINGS, A POWER OFF APPROACH/AUTOROTATION WAS INITIATED. THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT STATED THAT THEY FAILED TO INSURE THAT PROPER RPM WAS MAINTAINED DURING THE POWER OFF APPROACH. THE STUDENT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO ADJUST FOR POOR APPROACH EXECUTION AT LOW ALTITUDE BY CHANGING HIS LANDING SPOT WHEN HE REALIZED THAT THEY MIGHT HIT SOME OF THE RUNWAY LIGHTING AND THAT BOTH PILOTS ALLOWED FURTHER ROTOR RPM DECAY TO THE POINT THAT APPLICATION OF FULL POWER FAILED TO ARREST THE DESCENT RATE. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, DAMAGING THE SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR THE SKIDS WHICH THEN SPREAD APART ALLOWING THE TAIL ROTOR TO STRIKE THE GROUND. THE TAIL BOOM SEPARATED AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE. BOTH PILOTS STATED THAT THEY EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNINJURED.

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 DFW08CA114Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportKilleen, TXThe pilot's failure to maintain main rotor RPM and a safe rate of descent during the autorotation. A contributing factor was the gusty winds.Apr 23, 2008 · Substantial damage