- Date
- May 5, 1993, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Forks, ND
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7504DSchweizer 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 15, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930505012369A
- Case key
- 15709
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 improper use of collective in recovering from a loss of control due to ground resonance.
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 was practicing landings when the accident occurred. The pilot stated he lowered the collective and centered the cyclic in order to stop a ground run during the landing. The helicopter began to vibrate and the pilot brought the cyclic back to center, rolled off the throttle and verified that the collective was lowered. The helicopter continued to shake with the blades striking the ground. The saddle fuel tank separated from the helicopter and a fire was initiated. The pilot was able to evacuate the helicopter prior to its being consumed by fire. Post accident inspection of helicopter and its components not destroyed in the fire failed to reveal any failure/malfunction which would have resulted in the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7504D
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7504D
- Airframe hours
- 4,930
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-S1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- University Of North Dakota
- Registered owner
- University Of North Dakota
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 3, 1993 · 3 hours before
- Airport
- 6NA9 · Sky Ranch, runway 35, 2,500 × 35 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
- 22
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 172 total · 95 in this make and model · 95 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GFK, 4 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.