- Date
- August 26, 2001, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pontiac, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N9390FHughes 269B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 5, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20010826026149A
- Case key
- 53168
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 checklist not compiled with by the operator and not verified by the operator’s pilot and the operator's flight instructor. An additional cause was the improper autorotation by the pilot in command. The out of calibration engine idle speed was a contributing factor.
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 helicopter impacted terrain during a simulated autorotation by the operator's pilot during training conducted by the operator's flight instructor. The helicopter experienced a total loss of engine power during the recovery from the autorotation. The aircraft checklist stipulates procedures to be used in checking engine idle speed to verify that it is in the range of 1,400-1,600 rpm. These checks, which are to be performed at the end of the last flight each day and prior to shutdown, were not being conducted by the operator. Inspection of the engine idle speed revealed it to be 700-800 rpm.
Factual narrative
On August 26, 2001, at 1530 eastern daylight time, a Hughes 269B, N9390F, operated by Oakland Helicopters Incorporated, was substantially damaged during a simulated autorotation on runway 27R (5,000 feet by 100 feet, asphalt) at the Oakland County International Airport near Pontiac, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight was not operating on a flight plan. The airline transport pilot and instructor pilot were uninjured. The local flight originated at 1430.
The pilot reported in a written statement, "Engine failed during power-recovery phase of autorotational descent. After touchdown, (1) main rotor blade contacted tailboom..."
Inspection of the engine idle speed by a mechanic revealed that the engine idle speed was 700-800 rpm. The Schweizer 269C Pilot's Flight Manual (PFM) states under Normal Procedures, Pilot's Check of Idle Mixture, Idle Speed, and Fuel Boost Pump, "NOTE: This check of idle mixture, idle speed, and fuel boost pump shall be accomplished at the end of the last flight each day, prior to shutdown." According to the Federal Aviaiton Administration, this check was not being conducted by the operator. The PFM also states, ...NOTE: The first check (throttle into full override) should produce an idle speed no less than 1400 rpm. The second check (throttle at normal idle stop) should produce an idle speed no greater than 1600 rpm."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9390F
- Reported as
- Hughes 269B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 74-00114
- Airframe hours
- 4,938
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Oakland Helicopters Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PTK · Pontiac, MI
- Airport
- PTK · Oakland County International, runway 27R, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,900 total · 150 in this make and model · 5,800 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- PTK
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 N9390F · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.