# Accident 20120513008249A: Schweizer 269C-1, Hillsboro, OR, May 13, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 13, 2012, 14:30 local time
- Place: Hillsboro, OR
- Airport: Portland-Hillsboro
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.5406° N, 122.9500° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.5406&lon=-122.9500&mi=10
- Aircraft: N61482 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: SCHWEIZER 269C-1
- Reported engine: LYCOMING HO-360
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 475 total, 48 in this make and model, 55 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR12LA212](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12LA212) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120513008249A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

CFI ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS INSTRUCTING PRIVATE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON PERFORMING OFF AIRPORT "PINNACLE" LANDINGS IN THIS HELICOPTER.   DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS HIGH WITH HIO METAR TEMPERATURE OF 83F ON DEPARTURE FROM HIO AT 1400 PDT.  AT 1430 PDT, PILOT SKREDSVIG HOVERED ABOVE PINNACLE AT 1000 FT MSL 5 MILES WEST OF HIO AND LANDED HELICOPTER WITHOUT INCIDENT.  2ND HOVER TO LANDING ATTEMPTED AT SAME SPOT FROM DIFFERENT APPROACH DIRECTION, AND PILOT REPORTED ROTOR RPM WAS AT BOTTOM OF GREEN ARC, AND FALLING, WITH THROTTLE AT FULL POWER.  CFI TOOK OVER CONTROLS DURING HOVER A FEW FEET ABOVE LANDING SITE, AND ATTEMPTED TO FLY DOWNHILL FROM LANDING ZONE TO BUILD ROTOR RPM.  THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE DROP FROM LANDING ZONE TO SURROUNDING TERRAIN FOR RECOVERING ROTOR SPEED, AND HELICOPTER CRASHED ABOUT 50 YARDS AWAY FROM LACK OF POWER AND ROTOR RPM TO REGAIN FLIGHT.  NO INJURIES TO EITHER PILOT AS HELICOPTER LANDED ON SKIDS, BUT TAIL ROTOR STRUCK A LOG AND BROKE THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT.  SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE INCURRED TO TAIL BOOM, DRIVE SHAFT, STABILIZER, AND TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX MOUNT POINTS.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR12LA212](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12LA212), May 13, 2012: Schweizer 269C-1 (N61482), Hillsboro, OR, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight instructor's improper decision to take off from a hover with low rotor rpm.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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