# NTSB CEN22LA077: Hughes 269A, N8827F, Crowley, TX, December 14, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: December 14, 2021, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC) - Place: Crowley, TX - Coordinates: 32.542183, -97.391683 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.5422&lon=-97.3917&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration; North Texas FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 104414 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN22LA077 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/104414/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104414 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA077 ## Probable cause The student pilot’s encounter with a loss of tail rotor effectiveness during hover, and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action that resulted in an emergency landing and impact with terrain. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Hughes 269A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=4470402), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) - [Action: delayed action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Hughes 269A, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md?model=4470402), [All aircraft, 894 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Hughes 269A, 9 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=4470402), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Hughes 269A, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=4470402), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Autorotation: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Hughes 269A, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=4470402), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor reported that the student pilot was receiving flight instruction in preparation for a helicopter hover endorsement. The flight instructor and student pilot planned to practice hovers with pedal turns to experience wind effect from varying directions. The winds at the time were about 12 kts from the south. While in a hover and making a turn to the northeast, the wind increased, and the helicopter quickly climbed to 75 feet agl. The flight instructor told the student pilot to position the helicopter into the wind and descend. As the student applied left pedal input, the instructor noticed the helicopter started to rotate toward the right. The instructor immediately took the flight controls and continued to apply full left pedal input while “slightly” lowering the collective and using the cyclic to move the helicopter into undisturbed air. The flight instructor reported that he suspected a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and performed a hovering autorotation to land on a field. The helicopter impacted the terrain upright. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades and fuselage. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N8827F](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8827F-2023-07-12), registration cancelled 2023-07-12, S/N 43-0188 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: HUGHES 269A - Registry model: [Hughes 269A](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-269a) (registry code 4470402) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 43-0188 - Year built: 1963 - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Destination: Same as departure ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 71; injuries: none; student; seat: right; flight hours: 27 total, 27 in this make and model - Flight instructor; age 53; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine sea; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review April 9, 2021; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 2,405 total, 27 in this make and model, 2,345 as pilot in command, 170 in the last 90 days, 33 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 180° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 59 °F - Altimeter: 30.21 inHg - Observed at: FTW, 22 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20211214021099A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20211214021099A), Dec 14, 2021: Hughes 269A, Crowley, TX, Destroyed. On December 14, 2021, at approximately 1210 central daylight time, a Hughes 269, N8827F, made contact with the ground. The[privacy data omitted]operator was on… ## Other investigations on N8827F (2) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW82DA327](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW82DA327), Aug 14, 1982: Hughes 269A (N8827F), Forgan, OK, substantial damage - [NTSB CHI71DBD08](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI71DBD08), Aug 1, 1970: Hughes 269A (N8827F), Freeport, IL, substantial damage ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 7, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104414. 2.9 MB in all. - Email request to student pilot - pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 42 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13288993&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20Student%20Pilot%20Master_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Flight instructor - pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 2, PDF, 11 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13289081&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20Flight%20Instructor%20Master_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Record of conversation - FAA (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 109 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13288382&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=RECORD%20OF%20CONVERSATION%20FAA-Rel.pdf - Photo log (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 598 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13289003&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Log-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.