20160408008779A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 369A · Weatherford, TX · April 8, 2016

Date: April 8, 2016 · 11:00 local
Place: Weatherford, TX
Airport: Staggs
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N298SD
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA16LA182
Reported as: Hughes 369A
Reported engine: Allison 250-C10D
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot

N298SDRegistered now · Hughes 369AS/N 280332 · Built 1968 Airframe modelHughes 369A Engine modelAllison 250-C10DTurbo-shaft

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.

The pilot stated that he locked the tail rotor peddles on the left side when he hooked up the battery following maintenance. He forgot to unhook the peddles. During the maintenance runup, the pilot went into a hover. The helicopter went into a spin that was not controllable due to the locked tail rotor peddles.

In analyzing the damage to the helicopter and the structures the helicopter came into contact with, it appears the helicopter was moving aft and to the left when it struck the house. It also appears the helicopter fell downward with considerable force, causing serious spine and other internal injuries to the pilot.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LOCKED THE TAIL ROTOR PEDDLES ON THE LEFT SIDE WHEN HE HOOKED UP THE BATTERY FOLLOWING MAINTENANCE. HE FORGOT TO UNHOOK THE PEDDLES. DURING THE MAINTENANCE RUNUP, THE PILOT WENT INTO A HOVER. THE HELICOPTER WENT INTO A SPIN THAT WAS NOT CONTROLLABLE DUE TO THE LOCKED TAIL ROTOR PEDDLES.

IN ANALYZING THE DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER AND THE STRUCTURES THE HELICOPTER CAME INTO CONTACT WITH, IT APPEARS THE HELICOPTER WAS MOVING AFT AND TO THE LEFT WHEN IT STRUCK THE HOUSE. IT ALSO APPEARS THE HELICOPTER FELL DOWNWARD WITH CONSIDERABLE FORCE, CAUSING SERIOUS SPINE AND OTHER INTERNAL INJURIES TO THE PILOT.

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 GAA16LA182Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWeatherford, TXThe pilot/mechanic's inadequate postmaintenance and preflight inspections, which resulted in his failure to remove the antitorque pedal lock and a subsequent loss of control during hover operations.Apr 8, 2016 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N298SD · 1

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

Accident 20090530016499ALanding · Baltimore, OH(-23) During a practice 180 degree autorotation to a power-off touchdown, the aircraft overshot the final approach course to the 2500 foot mown grass private runway. Despite the overshoot, the commercially rated CFI pilot-in-command elected to complete the…May 30, 2009 · Substantial damage