- Date
- December 30, 2006, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mineral Wells, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9655FHughes 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 26, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FTW
- FAA report
- 20061230025989A
- Case key
- 65100
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 loss of control as result of loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
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 22-hour helicopter student pilot lost control of the single-engine helicopter while performing a hovering maneuver during a solo training flight. The pilot added that while hovering at a skid height of 10-feet above the ground, the helicopter encountered a phenomena known as loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE). The helicopter entered an uncontrolled hard spin to the right. The pilot responded by lowering the collective and the helicopter landed hard. The helicopter sustained structural damage to the right strut, the tail rotor drive shafts, and the right horizontal stabilizer. The pilot egressed from the helicopter normally and sustained no injuries. The winds at the time of the mishap were reported from 210 degrees at 6 knots.
Factual narrative
The 22-hour helicopter student pilot lost control of the single-engine helicopter while performing a hovering maneuver during a solo training flight. The pilot added that while hovering at a skid height of 10-feet above the ground, the helicopter encountered a phenomena known as loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE). The helicopter entered an uncontrolled hard spin to the right. The pilot responded by lowering the collective and the helicopter landed hard. The helicopter sustained structural damage to the right strut, the tail rotor drive shafts, and the right horizontal stabilizer. The pilot egressed from the helicopter normally and sustained no injuries. The winds at the time of the mishap were reported from 210 degrees at 6 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9655F
- Reported as
- Hughes 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- Unknown
- Airframe hours
- 8,500
- Engine
- Lycoming H10 360A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Mark and Connie Taylor
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KMWL · Mineral Wells, TX
- Destination
- KMWL · Mineral Wells, TX
- Airport
- KMWL · Mineral Wells
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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 180 total · 22 in this make and model · 22 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KMWL
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 N9655F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.