- Date
- September 4, 1998, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Decker, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N75068Schweizer 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 2, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980904022619A
- Case key
- 43841
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 obstacle clearance resulting in a collision with a fence.
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 of the accident helicopter said that he was initiating a departure from the yard of a private residence. He said he backed the helicopter tail rotor into a steel fence post. He reported no other mechanical or control difficulties with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
On September 4, 1998, at 1615 eastern standard time, a Schweizer 269C, N75068, sustained substantial damage on impact with a metal fence post during a takeoff from a residential back yard, near Decker, Indiana. The pilot told investigators that he was air taxiing in a hover, backing out of the landing site, when the tail rotor came in contact with a metal fence post. He reported no injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file for the local flight which was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot reported this accident. He said that he was departing from a private residence. He said, "I was departing my mother's place and backed the helicopter tail rotor into a steel fence post." He reported no other mechanical or control difficulties with the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75068
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- S1323
- Airframe hours
- 1,726
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-D1A, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kenneth C. Snider
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 18, 1998 · 38 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,901 total · 1,002 in this make and model · 6,287 as pilot in command · 63 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 84 °F
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 N75068 · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.