- Date
- August 7, 2010, 13:33 local (17:33 UTC)
- Place
- Lakeview, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N11XCHughes 269B
- Defining event
- Landing: Settling with power/vortex ring state
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-Grand Rapids FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100807043359A
- Case key
- 76915
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 pilot's excessive descent angle during landing approach, which resulted in a settling with power condition.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was making a high approach in the helicopter due to other aircraft traffic. About 50 feet above the ground he experienced a settling with power event. He could not arrest the descent and the helicopter impacted the ground, bounced, and became airborne again. The helicopter was spinning due to the separation of the tail boom and tail rotor. The helicopter then struck a hangar and impacted the ground a second time. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical deficiencies with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
The pilot was flying the helicopter to the fuel pumps on the airport and made a high approach due to other aircraft traffic. About 50 feet above the ground he experienced "settling with power". He could not arrest the descent and the helicopter impacted the ground, bounced, became airborne again, and was spinning due to the separation of the tail boom and tail rotor. The helicopter then struck a hangar and impacted the ground a second time. The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical deficiencies with the helicopter. The helicopter had about 16 hours since a complete rebuild, and less than one hour since annual inspection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N11XC
- Reported as
- Hughes 269B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0102
- Engine
- Ama/Expr UNKNOWN ENG, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 13C · Lakeview, MI
- Destination
- 13C · Lakeview, MI
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 13C · Lakeview Airport - Griffith Fi
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
- 73
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 5,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- RQB, 19 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 5, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 58 KB in all.
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 N11XC · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.