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20220623010981A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Schweizer 269C · Elkin, NC · June 23, 2022

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 23, 2022 · 10:55 local
Place
Elkin, NC
Airport
Elkin Municipal
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Midair collision
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2158T
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA22LA290
Reported as
Schweizer 269C
Reported engine
Lycoming HIO-360-D1A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
14,000 total
N2158TRegistered now · Schweizer 269CS/N S1913 · Built 2008Airframe modelSchweizer 269CEngine modelLycoming HIO-360-D1AReciprocating

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.

At 1055AM on June 23 2022 aircraft was at a 1500 MSL (500-600) AGL 3.5

Ese of kzef. 36.26N/80.72W. 1,037FT gnd elev. After departure the aircraft impacted a drone hovering in its path.

The drone impacted the helicopter main rotor blade and disintegrated.

The pilot felt no vibration after the impact and returned to the kzef airport 3.5 miles away. The pilot landed on the side of rwy 25 and shutdown the helicopter. Pilot called his inspector authorization (IA) to evaluate damage and called FAA faasteam inspector at the gso FSDO and yadkin county sheriffs department. FAA inspector went to the aircraft at kzef and interviewed pilot and took pictures of damage on one of the three main rotor blades. In addition, he requested a pilot written statement. FAA front line manager assigned an inspector in charge (iic). Iic contacted the roc and determined the main rotor damage to be substaintial making the occurance an accident. The satellite view of where the pilot reported the impact showed a campground and powerlines close to the report area as possible launch sites for a drone. Drove to campground met with campground manager to gain permission to search the area for the remains of a drone. The manager escorted the iic around the entire area covering over 20 to 50 acres. No remains were found of a drone. In addition, the sheriff's department searched the area and found no remains. The electical powerline owner was contacted to see if they had been inspecting power lines with drones the day and time of the reported impact. The electical powerline owner responded in writing that they had not been operating drones in the area. The NTSB investigator wanted the main rotor impact point swabbed for possible bird dna. The main rotor blade impact point was swabbed for dna and the sample sent to the lab in Washington DC. The lab results came back with no bird dna found at the impact point. With no drone remains found, eyewitnesses and no bird dna found the investigation is complete and closed.

As the FAA filed it

AT 1055AM ON JUNE 23 2022 AIRCRAFT WAS AT A 1500 MSL (500-600) AGL 3.5

ESE OF KZEF. 36.26N/80.72W. 1,037FT GND ELEV. AFTER DEPARTURE THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A DRONE HOVERING IN ITS PATH.

THE DRONE IMPACTED THE HELICOPTER MAIN ROTOR BLADE AND DISINTEGRATED.

THE PILOT FELT NO VIBRATION AFTER THE IMPACT AND RETURNED TO THE KZEF AIRPORT 3.5 MILES AWAY. THE PILOT LANDED ON THE SIDE OF RWY 25 AND SHUTDOWN THE HELICOPTER. PILOT CALLED HIS INSPECTOR AUTHORIZATION (IA) TO EVALUATE DAMAGE AND CALLED FAA FAASTEAM INSPECTOR AT THE GSO FSDO AND YADKIN COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT. FAA INSPECTOR WENT TO THE AIRCRAFT AT KZEF AND INTERVIEWED PILOT AND TOOK PICTURES OF DAMAGE ON ONE OF THE THREE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. IN ADDITION, HE REQUESTED A PILOT WRITTEN STATEMENT. FAA FRONT LINE MANAGER ASSIGNED AN INSPECTOR IN CHARGE (IIC). IIC CONTACTED THE ROC AND DETERMINED THE MAIN ROTOR DAMAGE TO BE SUBSTAINTIAL MAKING THE OCCURANCE AN ACCIDENT. THE SATELLITE VIEW OF WHERE THE PILOT REPORTED THE IMPACT SHOWED A CAMPGROUND AND POWERLINES CLOSE TO THE REPORT AREA AS POSSIBLE LAUNCH SITES FOR A DRONE. DROVE TO CAMPGROUND MET WITH CAMPGROUND MANAGER TO GAIN PERMISSION TO SEARCH THE AREA FOR THE REMAINS OF A DRONE. THE MANAGER ESCORTED THE IIC AROUND THE ENTIRE AREA COVERING OVER 20 TO 50 ACRES. NO REMAINS WERE FOUND OF A DRONE. IN ADDITION, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SEARCHED THE AREA AND FOUND NO REMAINS. THE ELECTICAL POWERLINE OWNER WAS CONTACTED TO SEE IF THEY HAD BEEN INSPECTING POWER LINES WITH DRONES THE DAY AND TIME OF THE REPORTED IMPACT. THE ELECTICAL POWERLINE OWNER RESPONDED IN WRITING THAT THEY HAD NOT BEEN OPERATING DRONES IN THE AREA. THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR WANTED THE MAIN ROTOR IMPACT POINT SWABBED FOR POSSIBLE BIRD DNA. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE IMPACT POINT WAS SWABBED FOR DNA AND THE SAMPLE SENT TO THE LAB IN WASHINGTON DC. THE LAB RESULTS CAME BACK WITH NO BIRD DNA FOUND AT THE IMPACT POINT. WITH NO DRONE REMAINS FOUND, EYEWITNESSES AND NO BIRD DNA FOUND THE INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE AND CLOSED.

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 ERA22LA290Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportBoonville, NCThe helicopter’s impact with a non-biological object, which resulted in substantial damage to a main rotor blade.Jun 23, 2022 · Substantial damage