- Date
- July 2, 1992, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Watkins Glen, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N330TTSchweizer 269D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 11808
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
Fuel starvation as a result of improper rigging of the fuel control unit.
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
During a certification test flight involving a series of descents at low rotor RPM and low airspeeds, the engine of the prototype helicopter lost power. An autorotation was initiated and the aircraft impacted the ground in a tail low condition, causing damage to the tail rotor and main rotor. The aircraft was being operated at a high gross weight and aft center of gravity to meet certification criteria. The rigging between the throttle and fuel control unit was examined and found to be improperly set, causing the prevention of continuous engine power throughout the flight test profile.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N330TT
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 51246T
- Airframe hours
- 1,189
- Engine
- Allison 250/C2OW, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Schweitzer Aircraft Corp.
- Registered owner
- Schweitzer Aircraft Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000 · 95 hours before
- Departed
- ELM · Elmira, NY
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,250 total · 4,300 in this make and model · 6,500 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ELM, 10 nm away