- Date
- May 12, 2006, 15:25 local (20:25 UTC)
- Place
- Lees Summit, MO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7506LSchweizer 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060512008459A
- Case key
- 63793
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 flight instructor's delay in taking remedial action which led to the hard landing during the practice autorotation. The misjudged glide path, the dual student restricting the throttle control, and the trees were factors in the accident.
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 was damaged when it impacted the ground hard during a practice autorotation. The certified flight instructor stated that he and his student were performing a practice autorotation when he realized that they would not be able to clear the trees at the edge of the landing area. He stated that he took control of the helicopter and attempted to add power but could not due to resistance in the throttle system due to his student not relinquishing control. He stated that he may have pulled some collective in order to just clear the trees, and then flared the helicopter. He said that the helicopter impacted the ground in a level attitude and eventually came to rest on its left side.
Factual narrative
On May 12, 2006, about 1525 central daylight time, a Schweizer 269C helicopter, N7506L, piloted by a certified flight instructor (CFI), and a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged when it landed hard and rolled on its side during a practice autorotation near Lees Summit, Missouri. The training flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. There were no injuries. The local flight originated from the Lees Summit Municipal Airport (LXT), about 1500.
The CFI reported that his student was training for an add on helicopter CFI rating. He reported that they had performed three touch down autorotations at LXT earlier in the flight. The CFI stated that he and his student were performing a practice autorotation when he realized that they would not be able to clear the trees at the edge of the landing area. He stated that he took control of the helicopter and attempted to add power but could not due to resistance in the throttle system due to his student not relinquishing control. He stated that he may have pulled some collective in order to just clear the trees, and then flared the helicopter. He said that the helicopter impacted the ground in a level attitude and eventually came to rest on its left side. He reported that there were no mechanical failure of the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7506L
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1286
- Airframe hours
- 4,918
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-D1A, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 1, 2006
- Departed
- LXT · Lees Summit, MO
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,750 total · 550 in this make and model · 1,700 as pilot in command
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2005
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.