- Date
- December 15, 1998, 20:10 local (Dec 16, 1998, 02:10 UTC)
- Place
- Hanceville, AL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N271JBHughes 269A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19981215033389A
- Case key
- 45460
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
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Factors were a dark night and terrain condition.
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
The flight instructor reported that the student pilot was flying the helicopter for the dark night takeoff. According to the flight instructor, shortly after climbing through 100 feet, the engine lost power. The flight instructor initiated an autorotation. During the touchdown phase of the autorotation, the helicopter collided with the ground. During the subsequent landing gyrations, the flight instructor stated that, a main rotor blade severed the tail boom, and the helicopter also rolled over. No mechanical problems with the helicopter were discovered during the subsequent post-impact examination. The engine assembly was removed from the airframe and installed in an engine test cell. During the functional test run the engine operated smoothly through all power ranges.
Factual narrative
On December 15, 1998, at 2010 Central Standard Time, a Hughes 269A, helicopter, N271JB, registered to Wallace State Commercial College, collided with the ground during an attempted takeoff from a heli-pad in Hanceville, Alabama. The instructional flight was operated by Wallace State College under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. According to the flight instructor, the helicopter sustained substantial structural damage. The flight instructor was not injured, but the student pilot received minor injuries. The accident occurred during the initial takeoff from Hanceville, Alabama.
The flight instructor reported that the student pilot was flying the helicopter for a required dark night takeoff. According to the flight instructor, shortly after climbing through 100 feet, the engine lost power. The flight instructor initiated an autorotation (see the attached NTSB Form 6120.1/2 with pilot's statement). During the touchdown phase of the autorotation, the helicopter collided with the ground. During the subsequent landing gyrations, the flight instructor stated that, a main rotor blade severed the tail boom, and the helicopter also rolled over. The helicopter rested in a ditch.
No mechanical problems with the helicopter were discovered during the subsequent post-impact examination. The engine assembly was removed from the airframe and installed in an engine test cell. During the functional test run the engine operated smoothly through all power ranges (see attached engine test run).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N271JB
- Reported as
- Hughes 269A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 67-1270749
- Airframe hours
- 14,322
- Engine
- Ford HIO-360-B1A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wallace State Comm College
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 5, 1998 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- WSCC
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total · 400 in this make and model · 14,000 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 330° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CSG
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.