What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 08, 2009 at approximatley 0845 eastern daylight time a Schweizer 269-C, N1835 piloted by a certificated pilot sustained substanial damage during a collision with the ground. The pilot and passenger were taxiing out to the runway 35 area when the pilot experienced L0SS of tail rotor effectiveness, spun out and crashed into the sod area to the right of the tarmac. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. It was noted in the reports that the helicopter was taxiing downwind. The pilot and passenger were not injured at this time. FAA inspectors tremblay and wilkie arrived on scene on or about 1000 hours. Inspector tremblay interviewed the pilot and inspector wilkie inspected the helicopter wreckage. The following is a report of this aircraft's condition at the airport. The helicopter was upright with fuselage on the ground and the landing gear skids crushed underneath. There were no fluids leaking out at that time. The rotor blades were substantially damaged and drooping down. There were rotor ground strikes present that showed the helicopter may have rotated about 230 degrees clockwise from its taxi direction prior to impacting the ground. The tail rotor had one substantially damaged blade which was broken 90' inward. The collective control was noted in the full up position and the left anti torque pedal was full forward. Control continuity checks were completed on the collective, cyclic, throttle and mixture controls. Each system was found operational. The fuel tank was intact and was approximatly 1/2 full. This level was done visually and fuel guage on the instrument panel read the same. Engine oil was present of the dip stick. The rotor gearbox oil was present. The tail boom and tail rotor drive shaft indicated rotation prior to impact. There were two hobbs meters in this helicopter. The maintenance/tach hobbs is located in the front of the instrument pedestal and is controlled by weight on the skids. The second hobbs meter is located on the pilot's instrument panel and is controlled by engine oil pressure. The maintenance hobbs/tach was 1316.8 hours and second hobbs meter read 1733.8 hours at the time of the crash. Aircraft maintenance logbooks were reviewed to check for proper airworthiness and recording of the maintenance done. The 25, 50, 100 and annual inspection were completed on 07/08/2009. There was no ELT on board. The pilot stated and included in his report that the engine was operating normally and that he lost tail rotor effectiveness at the time of the crash.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 08, 2009 AT APPROXIMATLEY 0845 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME A SCHWEIZER 269-C, N1835 PILOTED BY A CERTIFICATED PILOT SUSTAINED SUBSTANIAL DAMAGE DURING A COLLISION WITH THE GROUND. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE TAXIING OUT TO THE RUNWAY 35 AREA WHEN THE PILOT EXPERIENCED L0SS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS, SPUN OUT AND CRASHED INTO THE SOD AREA TO THE RIGHT OF THE TARMAC. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. IT WAS NOTED IN THE REPORTS THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS TAXIING DOWNWIND. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED AT THIS TIME. FAA INSPECTORS TREMBLAY AND WILKIE ARRIVED ON SCENE ON OR ABOUT 1000 HOURS. INSPECTOR TREMBLAY INTERVIEWED THE PILOT AND INSPECTOR WILKIE INSPECTED THE HELICOPTER WRECKAGE. THE FOLLOWING IS A REPORT OF THIS AIRCRAFT'S CONDITION AT THE AIRPORT. THE HELICOPTER WAS UPRIGHT WITH FUSELAGE ON THE GROUND AND THE LANDING GEAR SKIDS CRUSHED UNDERNEATH. THERE WERE NO FLUIDS LEAKING OUT AT THAT TIME. THE ROTOR BLADES WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND DROOPING DOWN. THERE WERE ROTOR GROUND STRIKES PRESENT THAT SHOWED THE HELICOPTER MAY HAVE ROTATED ABOUT 230 DEGREES CLOCKWISE FROM ITS TAXI DIRECTION PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE GROUND. THE TAIL ROTOR HAD ONE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED BLADE WHICH WAS BROKEN 90' INWARD. THE COLLECTIVE CONTROL WAS NOTED IN THE FULL UP POSITION AND THE LEFT ANTI TORQUE PEDAL WAS FULL FORWARD. CONTROL CONTINUITY CHECKS WERE COMPLETED ON THE COLLECTIVE, CYCLIC, THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CONTROLS. EACH SYSTEM WAS FOUND OPERATIONAL. THE FUEL TANK WAS INTACT AND WAS APPROXIMATLY 1/2 FULL. THIS LEVEL WAS DONE VISUALLY AND FUEL GUAGE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL READ THE SAME. ENGINE OIL WAS PRESENT OF THE DIP STICK. THE ROTOR GEARBOX OIL WAS PRESENT. THE TAIL BOOM AND TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT INDICATED ROTATION PRIOR TO IMPACT. THERE WERE TWO HOBBS METERS IN THIS HELICOPTER. THE MAINTENANCE/TACH HOBBS IS LOCATED IN THE FRONT OF THE INSTRUMENT PEDESTAL AND IS CONTROLLED BY WEIGHT ON THE SKIDS. THE SECOND HOBBS METER IS LOCATED ON THE PILOT'S INSTRUMENT PANEL AND IS CONTROLLED BY ENGINE OIL PRESSURE. THE MAINTENANCE HOBBS/TACH WAS 1316.8 HOURS AND SECOND HOBBS METER READ 1733.8 HOURS AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS WERE REVIEWED TO CHECK FOR PROPER AIRWORTHINESS AND RECORDING OF THE MAINTENANCE DONE. THE 25, 50, 100 AND ANNUAL INSPECTION WERE COMPLETED ON 07/08/2009. THERE WAS NO ELT ON BOARD. THE PILOT STATED AND INCLUDED IN HIS REPORT THAT THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY AND THAT HE LOST TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.