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20230627019109A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Hughes 269A · Anderson, SC · June 27, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 27, 2023 · 16:26 local
Place
Anderson, SC
Airport
Anderson Regional
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N90270
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA23LA289
Reported as
Hughes 269A
Reported engine
Lycoming HIO-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
6,840 total
N90270Registered now · Hughes 269AS/N 66-18283 · Built 1966Airframe modelHughes 269AEngine 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.

The helicopter experienced a vibration earlier in the day. The pilot/privacy data omitted/mechanic performed a blade tension check by hand after landing. The yellow blade seemed much weaker than the other two blades. The helicopter was put into maintenance and the phasing and torque adjustemnt was performed in accordance with the hmi. The helicopter was returned to the ramp and a ground run performed and appeared to be good. The helicopter was shut down again while work was completed on a customer's aircraft. Later in the day it was decided to fly the aircraft and it appeared to be without the vibration. Upon landing a ground resonance occurred. The pilot lifted the helicopter back into a hover in hopes of corrected the resonance issue. It appeared to get worse. The power was reduced and helicopter landed, reaching to shut off the fuel was the last thing the pilot remembers. The pilot was knocked unconscious and received head lacerations. The pilot/privacy data omitted/mechanic supervised the apprentice mechanic who performed the phasing and torque adjustments to the dampers.

As the FAA filed it

THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A VIBRATION EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE PILOT/^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^/MECHANIC PERFORMED A BLADE TENSION CHECK BY HAND AFTER LANDING. THE YELLOW BLADE SEEMED MUCH WEAKER THAN THE OTHER TWO BLADES. THE HELICOPTER WAS PUT INTO MAINTENANCE AND THE PHASING AND TORQUE ADJUSTEMNT WAS PERFORMED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE HMI. THE HELICOPTER WAS RETURNED TO THE RAMP AND A GROUND RUN PERFORMED AND APPEARED TO BE GOOD. THE HELICOPTER WAS SHUT DOWN AGAIN WHILE WORK WAS COMPLETED ON A CUSTOMER'S AIRCRAFT. LATER IN THE DAY IT WAS DECIDED TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT AND IT APPEARED TO BE WITHOUT THE VIBRATION. UPON LANDING A GROUND RESONANCE OCCURRED. THE PILOT LIFTED THE HELICOPTER BACK INTO A HOVER IN HOPES OF CORRECTED THE RESONANCE ISSUE. IT APPEARED TO GET WORSE. THE POWER WAS REDUCED AND HELICOPTER LANDED, REACHING TO SHUT OFF THE FUEL WAS THE LAST THING THE PILOT REMEMBERS. THE PILOT WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS AND RECEIVED HEAD LACERATIONS. THE PILOT/^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^/MECHANIC SUPERVISED THE APPRENTICE MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED THE PHASING AND TORQUE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE DAMPERS.

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 ERA23LA289Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportAnderson, SCThe mechanics’ improper torquing of the main rotor blade dampers, which resulted in a ground resonance event during landing.Jun 27, 2023 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N90270 · 2

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

Accident 19901226056189ALevel Off Touchdown · Jeffersonville, INOn radio check flight pulled mixture control by mistake instead of carb heat. Rotor RPM decayed due friction lockedDec 26, 1990 · Substantial damageAccident 19870220036679ASfl Autorotation · Jacksonville, FLThe helicopter landed hard and the tail boom was severed. The instructor failed to maintain rotor speed.Feb 20, 1987 · Substantial damage