- Date
- August 19, 1989, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Saluda, SC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N8773FHughes 269A
- Weather
- Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890819030549A
- Case key
- 8055
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Student pilot's improper use of the flight controls during lift-off and inadequate supervision by the flight instructor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Immediately after lift-off to a hover the helicopter rolled right. Left cyclic was applied by the instructor who realized that the pilot under instruction was also applying left cyclic. As the helicopter continued to roll right the instructor lowered the collective. However the helicopter continued rolling until the main rotor blades struck the ground and the main rotor head separated. The instructor said the flight controls had feel and there were no unusual vibrations. The fractured main rotor mast had excessive porosity but failed in overload. A gouge was found in the ground indicating that the right skid rear tip dragged during the lift-off and precipitated the dynamic roll over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8773F
- Reported as
- Hughes 269A (269-A)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 620097
- Airframe hours
- 2,159
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-B1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Randle, Robert A./Jane M.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 11, 1989 · 20 hours before
- Airport
- Etheridge, runway 36, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,934 total · 3,700 in this make and model · 3,754 as pilot in command · 92 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CAE, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8773F · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.