- Date
- June 28, 2007, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Slidell, LA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N292BSchweizer 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- FAA report
- 20070628831969A
- Case key
- 66113
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 encounter with settling with power condition while hovering out of ground effect. A contributing factor was the prevailing tailwind.
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 single-engine helicopter encountered a settling with power condition resulting in a hard landing on a marsh. The 3,300-hour commercial pilot was hovering the helicopter at approximately 100 feet above the ground (AGL) while performing a wildlife/mapping survey, approximately 100 feet above ground level (AGL), when he lost control of the helicopter. The helicopter's tail-boom separated and the main rotor blades impacted the ground during the hard landing. The helicopter came to rest in the upright position with the nose pointing skyward. The pilot was able to exit the helicopter unassisted. The pilot reported that he had a 15 knot tailwind, when he slowed the helicopter to mark a waypoint. As he applied left torque pedal and added collective, the main rotor RPM drooped. The pilot was unable to recover sufficient rotor RPM to prevent ground contact. The pilot further stated that there were no malfunctions with the helicopter's engine or controls. Visual metrological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and the temperature was reported as 85-degrees Fahrenheit.
Factual narrative
The single-engine helicopter encountered a settling with power condition resulting in a hard landing on a marsh. The 3,300-hour commercial pilot was hovering the helicopter at approximately 100 feet above the ground (AGL) while performing a wildlife/mapping survey, approximately 100 feet above ground level (AGL), when he lost control of the helicopter. The helicopter's tail-boom separated and the main rotor blades impacted the ground during the hard landing. The helicopter came to rest in the upright position with the nose pointing skyward. The pilot was able to exit the helicopter unassisted. The pilot reported that he had a 15 knot tailwind, when he slowed the helicopter to mark a waypoint. As he applied left torque pedal and added collective, the main rotor RPM drooped. The pilot was unable to recover sufficient rotor RPM to prevent ground contact. The pilot further stated that there were no malfunctions with the helicopter's reciprocating engine or controls. Visual metrological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and the temperature was reported as 85-degrees Fahrenheit.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N292B
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1385
- Airframe hours
- 6,120
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Valley Helicopter Services, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 1, 2007
- Departed
- Slidell, LA
- Destination
- Slidell, LA
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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,400 total · 3,200 in this make and model · 3,000 as pilot in command · 88 in the last 90 days · 54 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °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 N292B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.