20130531016049I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Hughes 269B · Lakewood, NY · May 31, 2013

Date: May 31, 2013 · 17:31 local
Place: Lakewood, NY
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N9507F
Reported as: Hughes 269B
Reported engine: Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,544 total201 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

N9507FRegistration cancelled Jun 4, 2018 · Hughes 269BS/N 87-0337 · Built 1968 Airframe modelHughes 269B Engine modelLycoming I0360 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.

According to pilot and passenger statement, the aircraft was preflighted and a fuel sample taken. The aircraft was runup without incident.

When the aircraft was performing its initial takeoff over the water, the aircraft had travelled approximately 50 years when it began to lose power. The pilot attempted to increase throttle to maintain rotor RPM but the rotor RPM decayed rapidly.

The aircraft was unable to maintain altitude and descended into approximately 8 feet of water. The pilot stated that the rotor RPM was severely low, to the point that he could clearly see each blade as it passed the 12 o'clock position.

The aircraft descended into the water in a wings level attitude and the cabin began to fill with water. The cabin doors had been removed during preflight so egress was uneventful.

The minor damage to the rotor blades was consistent with extremely slow moving rotor blades hitting a hard surface (the water).

As the FAA filed it

ACCORDING TO PILOT AND PASSENGER STATEMENT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS PREFLIGHTED AND A FUEL SAMPLE TAKEN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RUNUP WITHOUT INCIDENT.

WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMING ITS INITIAL TAKEOFF OVER THE WATER, THE AIRCRAFT HAD TRAVELLED APPROXIMATELY 50 YEARS WHEN IT BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE THROTTLE TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM BUT THE ROTOR RPM DECAYED RAPIDLY.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND DESCENDED INTO APPROXIMATELY 8 FEET OF WATER. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ROTOR RPM WAS SEVERELY LOW, TO THE POINT THAT HE COULD CLEARLY SEE EACH BLADE AS IT PASSED THE 12 O'CLOCK POSITION.

THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO THE WATER IN A WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE AND THE CABIN BEGAN TO FILL WITH WATER. THE CABIN DOORS HAD BEEN REMOVED DURING PREFLIGHT SO EGRESS WAS UNEVENTFUL.

THE MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ROTOR BLADES WAS CONSISTENT WITH EXTREMELY SLOW MOVING ROTOR BLADES HITTING A HARD SURFACE (THE WATER).

Other reports on N9507F · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19730615017749ALow Level Operations · Lumberton, NCHit pwr line.Jun 15, 1973 · Substantial damage