- Date
- May 9, 2008, 12:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- San Antonio, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N584PMSchweizer 269D
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080509833499A
- Case key
- 67998
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 compensate for the excessive rate of descent on final approach. A contributing factor was the reported down draft.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
While demonstrating a 180 degree autorotation, the helicopter encountered a downdraft resulting in an unexpected loss of altitude. The flight instructor elected not to roll power and decided to continue the autorotation to the ground. The pilot was unable to arrest the descent rate. The helicopter touched down level, bounced, and came to rest in the upright position. The flight instructor and private pilot were able to exit the helicopter normally.
Factual narrative
On May 9, 2008 at approximately 1220 central daylight time a single engine Schweizer 269D helicopter, N584PM, was substantially damaged during a hard landing following a practice autorotation. The flight instructor and private pilot receiving instruction were not injured. The helicopter was owned and operated by the San Antonio Police Department. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The local pattern flight originated at Stinson Municipal Airport (SSF), San Antonio, Texas.
In a statement provided by the flight instructor, while demonstrating a 180 degree right autorotation the helicopter entered a "down draft" resulting in a loss of altitude. Due to low altitude the pilot elected not to roll power on and decided to continue the autorotation to a touchdown. The pilot was unable to arrest the descent rate and the helicopter touched down level, bounced 2 to 3 feet and came to rest in the upright position. Damage was discovered to the helicopter skids and supporting structure.
At 1253 an automated weather observation station at SSF reported winds from 160 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 17 knots, visibility 7 miles, clear skies, temperature 90 degrees, dew point 68 degrees, and a barometric pressure of 29.78 inches of Mercury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N584PM
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0062A
- Airframe hours
- 713
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 250-C20W, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- San Antonio Police Department
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 1, 2008
- Departed
- SSF · San Antonio, TX
- Destination
- SSF · San Antonio, TX
- Airport
- SSF · Stinson Muni, runway 09, 4,835 × 100 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 173 total · 115 in this make and model · 126 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2007
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,744 total · 2,158 in this make and model · 64 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.78 inHg
- Observed at
- KSSF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.