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20151221020709A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Schweizer 269C · Warrenton, MO · December 21, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
December 21, 2015 · 21:30 local
Place
Warrenton, MO
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N292B
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN16LA084
Reported as
Schweizer 269C
Reported engine
Lycoming HIO-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
300 total200 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days
N292BRegistered now · Schweizer 269CS/N S1385 · Built 1989Airframe modelSchweizer 269CEngine 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.

Pilot of N292B departed helisat flight training pad at approximately 21:15 CST on 12-21-15 for a night cross-country flight to a privately owned helipad close to waynesville, MO. The pilot stated that he checked the weather and that it was forecasted to be good for the entire flight. About 15 minutes into the flight the pilot started to lose visual ground contact as he approached the Missouri river. He reduced power and airspeed and tried to descend to regain ground contact. He then tried to climb out of the clouds but that was also unsuccessful. He turned 180 degrees in hopes to exit the fog the same way he entered it. He said that he was rapidly losing spatial orientation and estimated that he was in the fog for about 8 to 10 minutes. The first impact was the tree tops about 200 to 250 yards from the final crash site. The initial impact broke out the windscreen. He attempted to climb but was unable to out climb the rising terrain because he said that the aircraft was difficult to control, possibly due to damage to the tail rotor. When the pilot knew a crash was imminent, he decided to reduce the collective and throttle, then spin the helicopter to the left to place the tail into the impact zone in hopes to protect the front of the helicopter.

The pilot only received minor injuries and was treated by the paramedics.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT OF N292B DEPARTED HELISAT FLIGHT TRAINING PAD AT APPROXIMATELY 21:15 CST ON 12-21-15 FOR A NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO A PRIVATELY OWNED HELIPAD CLOSE TO WAYNESVILLE, MO. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE CHECKED THE WEATHER AND THAT IT WAS FORECASTED TO BE GOOD FOR THE ENTIRE FLIGHT. ABOUT 15 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE PILOT STARTED TO LOSE VISUAL GROUND CONTACT AS HE APPROACHED THE MISSOURI RIVER. HE REDUCED POWER AND AIRSPEED AND TRIED TO DESCEND TO REGAIN GROUND CONTACT. HE THEN TRIED TO CLIMB OUT OF THE CLOUDS BUT THAT WAS ALSO UNSUCCESSFUL. HE TURNED 180 DEGREES IN HOPES TO EXIT THE FOG THE SAME WAY HE ENTERED IT. HE SAID THAT HE WAS RAPIDLY LOSING SPATIAL ORIENTATION AND ESTIMATED THAT HE WAS IN THE FOG FOR ABOUT 8 TO 10 MINUTES. THE FIRST IMPACT WAS THE TREE TOPS ABOUT 200 TO 250 YARDS FROM THE FINAL CRASH SITE. THE INITIAL IMPACT BROKE OUT THE WINDSCREEN. HE ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB BUT WAS UNABLE TO OUT CLIMB THE RISING TERRAIN BECAUSE HE SAID THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL, POSSIBLY DUE TO DAMAGE TO THE TAIL ROTOR. WHEN THE PILOT KNEW A CRASH WAS IMMINENT, HE DECIDED TO REDUCE THE COLLECTIVE AND THROTTLE, THEN SPIN THE HELICOPTER TO THE LEFT TO PLACE THE TAIL INTO THE IMPACT ZONE IN HOPES TO PROTECT THE FRONT OF THE HELICOPTER.

THE PILOT ONLY RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND WAS TREATED BY THE PARAMEDICS.

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 CEN16LA084Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWarrenton, MOThe noninstrument-rated pilot's continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions at night, which resulted in the loss of visual reference to the ground and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from trees.Dec 22, 2015 · Destroyed

Other reports on N292B · 1

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

Accident 20070628831969AHovering · Slidell, LA(-23) Single-engine helicopter encountered settling with power resulting in a hard landing on a marsh land. The 3400 hour commercial pilot was hovering the helicopter at approximately 100 feet above the ground (AGL) whle performimg a wildlife/mapping survey,…Jun 28, 2007 · Substantial damage