- Date
- May 19, 2005, 09:20 local (15:20 UTC)
- Place
- Pueblo, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N958CPSchweizer 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20050519009709A
- Case key
- 61515
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 student pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during the landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student 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
According to the flight instructor, they were conducting steep approaches to runway 26L. The first three approaches and landings were uneventful. During the fourth approach, approximately 10 to 15 feet agl, the student noted that the rpm's had dropped into the yellow arc around 2800 rpm. The student stated that he "lowered the collective and rolled on the throttle." The helicopter "dropped dramatically." The student attempted to cushion the landing by adding collective. The helicopter impacted the ground and "spun left" approximately 180 degrees before coming to a rest. An examination of helicopter showed substantial damage to the tail boom, skids, tail rotor drive shaft, and the frame. An examination of the helicopter's systems revealed no anomalies.
Factual narrative
On May 19, 2005, approximately 0920 mountain daylight time, a Schweizer 269C helicopter, N958CP, was substantially damaged when it made a hard landing during a short approach at the Pueblo Memorial Airport (PUB), Pueblo, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The instructional flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The flight instructor and student pilot on board reported no injures.The local flight departed PUB approximately 0830.
According to the accident report submitted by the flight instructor, they were conducting steep approaches to runway 26L. The first three approaches and landings were uneventful. During the fourth approach, approximately 10 to 15 feet agl, the student noted that the rpm's had dropped into the yellow arc around 2800 rpm. The student stated that he "lowered the collective and rolled on the throttle." The helicopter "dropped dramatically." The student attempted to cushion the landing by adding collective. The helicopter impacted the ground and "spun left" approximately 180 degrees before coming to a rest. During the impact the skids split, the tail boom was bent backwards, the tail rotor drive shaft separated, and the frame of the helicopter was bent. An examination of the helicopter's systems revealed no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N958CP
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 51710
- Airframe hours
- 5,129
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-D1A, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Silver State Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Lj Air
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 1, 2005 · 37 hours before
- Departed
- PUB · Pueblo, CO
- Destination
- PUB · Pueblo, CO
- Airport
- PUB · Pueblo Memorial, runway 26L, 4,073 × 75 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2005
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 313 total · 114 in this make and model · 254 as pilot in command · 128 in the last 90 days · 89 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5 total · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- PUB, 1 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.
Other investigations on N958CP · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.