# NTSB DFW05TA056: Schweizer 269D, N296RL, San Antonio, TX, January 18, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Final report - Date: January 18, 2005, 16:15 local (22:15 UTC) - Place: San Antonio, TX - Coordinates: 29.336944, -98.471107 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.3369&lon=-98.4711&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 30, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: San Antonio FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 60878 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DFW05TA056 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/60878/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW05TA056 ## Probable cause The inadequate supervision and delayed remedial action by the flight instructor, which resulted in an inadvertent dynamic rollover. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with terrain/water, hover - altitude/clearance - not maintained, dual student - terrain condition - grass - supervision - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - remedial action - delayed, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - Roll over, hover - dynamic rollover - inadvertent, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) ## Analysis In a written statement, the 3,206-hour flight instructor reported that during the student's first training flight, the student manipulated the controls for approximately two minutes until the helicopter began to drift left and slightly forward. The helicopter then "suddenly descended," and the instructor began to apply corrective input to the controls as the front left skid struck the ground. The instructor "felt the helicopter begin to roll to the left at this pivot point." He attempted to correct the situation prior to reaching the critical rollover angle of the helicopter, but the helicopter continued to roll and came to rest on its left side. ## Factual narrative On January 18, 2005, approximately 1615 central standard time, a Schweizer 269D helicopter, N296RL, sustained substantial damage when it impacted the ground following a loss of control while hovering at Stinson Municipal Airport (SSF), near San Antonio, Texas. The certificated flight instructor sustained minor injuries, and the student pilot receiving instruction was not injured. The helicopter was registered to the San Antonio Police Department, San Antonio, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 public use training flight. The local flight originated at SSF, approximately 1600. In a written statement, the 3,206-hour flight instructor reported that the flight was the first training flight in the helicopter for the student, who is a 55-hour fixed-wing private pilot. The lesson started with an outline briefing of the training flight. The student sat in the right seat, and the instructor sat in the left seat of the dual control equipped helicopter. The instructor pilot reported that he hover-taxied to a grass covered area near the center of the airport to practice hovering with the student. The instructor demonstrated an exercise, which illustrated the function of each flight control, to the student. He then instructed the student to demonstrate the exercise while he held lightly on the controls "due to the difficult nature of the exercise." According to the instructor, the student manipulated the controls for approximately two minutes until the helicopter began to drift left and slightly forward. The helicopter then "suddenly descended," and the instructor began to apply corrective input to the controls as the front left skid struck the ground. The instructor "felt the helicopter begin to roll to the left at this pivot point." He "attempted to correct the situation prior to reaching the critical rollover angle of the helicopter, but the helicopter continued to roll over and came to rest on its left side." The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Rotorcraft Flying Handbook (page 11-7) states, "A helicopter is susceptible to a lateral rolling tendency, called a dynamic rollover, when lifting off the surface. For a dynamic rollover to occur, some factor has to first cause the helicopter to roll or pivot around a skid, or landing gear wheel, until its critical rollover angle is reached. Then, beyond this point, main rotor thrust continues the roll and recovery is impossible. If the critical rollover angle is exceeded, the helicopter rolls on its side regardless of the cyclic corrections made." According to the instructor, there was substantial damage to the main rotor, tail rotor, tail boom, and horizontal stabilizer. At 1629, the automated weather observing system at SSF reported wind from 060 degrees at 7 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, overcast clouds at 3,300 feet, temperature 54 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and a barometric pressure setting of 30.47 inches of Mercury. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N296RL](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N296RL-2005-10-26), registration cancelled 2005-10-26, S/N 0020, built 1997 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Schweizer 269D - Registry model: [Schweizer 269D](https://openairdocs.org/model/schweizer-269d) (registry code 8059501) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Allison 250-C20 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20-series) (registry code 03020, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 0020 - Airframe hours: 3580.6 - Engines: Rolls-Royce 250-C20W 252 lbs thrust turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: San Antonio Police Department - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, October 22, 2004, 93.3 hours before - Departed: SSF, San Antonio, TX - Destination: SSF, San Antonio, TX - Airport: SSF, Stinson Municipal Airport ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 47; injuries: minor; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review February 19, 2004; seat: left; flight hours: 3,206 total, 2,434 in this make and model, 3,200 as pilot in command, 88 in the last 90 days, 28 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 41; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: right; flight hours: 54 total, 1 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days, 0 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 60° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 54 °F, dew point 32 °F - Altimeter: 30.46 inHg - Observed at: SSF ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20050118001339A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050118001339A), Jan 18, 2005: Scwzer 269D, San Antonio, TX, Substantial damage. (-23) On January 18, 2005, at approximately 1615 central standard time, a Schweizer 269D helicopter, N296RL, sustained substantial damage when it impacted the… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.