20200530007249A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Schweizer 269C-1 · Ozark, AL · May 30, 2020

Date: May 30, 2020 · 11:30 local
Place: Ozark, AL
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N9421P
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA20LA197
Reported as: Schweizer 269C-1
Reported engine: Lycoming HO-360
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 340 total67 in this make and model

N9421PRegistration cancelled Apr 5, 2021 · Schweizer 269C-1S/N 0118 · Built 2000 Airframe modelSchweizer 269C-1 Engine modelLycoming HO-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 was conducting his last scheduled solo flight of 1.1 hours. Witnesses state that the helicopter seemed to be experiencing engine trouble as indicated by the engine sounds they could hear such as a "spitting and sputtering". The aircraft turned and continued approximately 750 feet before the engine failure occurred, causing the aircraft to drop through a large tree in a residential area. Aircraft was completely destroyed. Large tree limbs and debris were covering much of the wreckage.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS CONDUCTING HIS LAST SCHEDULED SOLO FLIGHT OF 1.1 HOURS. WITNESSES STATE THAT THE HELICOPTER SEEMED TO BE EXPERIENCING ENGINE TROUBLE AS INDICATED BY THE ENGINE SOUNDS THEY COULD HEAR SUCH AS A "SPITTING AND SPUTTERING". THE AIRCRAFT TURNED AND CONTINUED APPROXIMATELY 750 FEET BEFORE THE ENGINE FAILURE OCCURRED, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO DROP THROUGH A LARGE TREE IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. LARGE TREE LIMBS AND DEBRIS WERE COVERING MUCH OF THE WRECKAGE.

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 ERA20LA197Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportOzark, ALA total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the flight school’s inadequate maintenance of the helicopter’s fuel quantity and caution systems.May 30, 2020 · Destroyed