- Date
- December 5, 2007, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hazelton, IN
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N75068Schweizer 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-Indianapolis FSDO
- Case key
- 67378
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 failure to maintain adequate main rotor speed during the intentional autorotation, and his subsequent inability to reduce the descent rate prior to impact. A contributing factor was the intentional autorotation initiated by the pilot.
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 pilot initiated an intentional autorotation to a landing site at the destination airport. He recalled that after entering the autorotation, the helicopter drifted and that reaching the intended touchdown point became questionable. The pilot reported that he had intended to add power and continue to the intended landing site, but the helicopter did not seem to respond as expected. The pilot was unable to reduce the descent rate and the helicopter subsequently impacted the ground at the point of intended landing. A post accident inspection did not reveal any anomalies associated with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
The pilot initiated an intentional autorotation to a landing site at the destination airport. He recalled that after entering the autorotation, the helicopter drifted and that reaching the intended touchdown point became questionable. The pilot reported that he had intended to add power and continue to the intended landing site, but the helicopter did not seem to respond as expected. The pilot was unable to reduce the descent rate and the helicopter subsequently impacted the ground at the point of intended landing. A post accident inspection did not reveal any anomalies associated with the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75068
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- S1323
- Airframe hours
- 2,072
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-O1A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 2006
- Departed
- EHR · Henderson, KY
- Destination
- 0IN1 · Hazelton, IN
- Airport
- 0IN1 · Snider Field
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
- 61
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,050 total · 1,450 in this make and model · 7,380 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 12 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.65 inHg
- Observed at
- EVV, 28 nm away
Other investigations on N75068 · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.