20110729017649A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Schweizer 269C · Darlington, MD · July 29, 2011

Date: July 29, 2011 · 17:45 local
Place: Darlington, MD
Airport: Private Pad
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N39SH
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA11LA428
Reported as: Schweizer 269C
Reported engine: Lycoming HIO-360 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 967 total540 in this make and model46 in the last 90 days

N39SHRegistration cancelled Oct 31, 2014 · Schweizer 269CS/N S1287 · Built 1987 Airframe modelSchweizer 269C 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.

N39SH was landing at one of the owners private heliports privacy data omitted. According to the pilot he touched down and reduced the collective and throttle. He was sitting on the ground at least a minute or more according to the pilot and privacy data omitted. The helicopter started to vibrate violently and skip along the ground. One of the main rotor blades chopped off the tail boom. The landing skid on the left side gave way and the helicopter laid over at about a 45 degree angle. The entire left side of the cabin broke away and the left seat back collapsed. The instrument panel collapsed and broke apart. The pilot was taken by the harford county EMT service to the hospital. The pilot had a sprained left wrist and minor injuries. privacy data omitted Was standing in front of the hangar watching the helicopter land. One of the first pieces that came off the helicopter almost hit privacy data omitted and he ducked behind the hangar until the noise stopped.

As the FAA filed it

N39SH WAS LANDING AT ONE OF THE OWNERS PRIVATE HELIPORTS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE TOUCHED DOWN AND REDUCED THE COLLECTIVE AND THROTTLE. HE WAS SITTING ON THE GROUND AT LEAST A MINUTE OR MORE ACCORDING TO THE PILOT AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO VIBRATE VIOLENTLY AND SKIP ALONG THE GROUND. ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CHOPPED OFF THE TAIL BOOM. THE LANDING SKID ON THE LEFT SIDE GAVE WAY AND THE HELICOPTER LAID OVER AT ABOUT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE OF THE CABIN BROKE AWAY AND THE LEFT SEAT BACK COLLAPSED. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL COLLAPSED AND BROKE APART. THE PILOT WAS TAKEN BY THE HARFORD COUNTY EMT SERVICE TO THE HOSPITAL. THE PILOT HAD A SPRAINED LEFT WRIST AND MINOR INJURIES. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE HANGAR WATCHING THE HELICOPTER LAND. ONE OF THE FIRST PIECES THAT CAME OFF THE HELICOPTER ALMOST HIT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND HE DUCKED BEHIND THE HANGAR UNTIL THE NOISE STOPPED.

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 ERA11LA428Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportDarlington, MDInadequate maintenance of the helicopter's landing gear dampers, which resulted in a main rotor out-of-balance condition and ground resonance encounter.Jul 29, 2011 · Substantial damage