- Date
- October 8, 2009, 09:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lewiston, ME
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1835ESchweizer 269C-1
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20091008050189A
- Case key
- 74872
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 tail rotor effectiveness (LTE) resulting from hovering the helicopter in a tailwind.
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
The pilot of a helicopter was conducting a non-revenue sightseeing flight for one passenger. After lifting off, the pilot stated that he was hovering eastbound with the winds out of the west. A METAR taken on the airport approximately 5 minutes before the accident indicated the wind was from 340 degrees at 11 knots with gusts to 16 knots. The pilot further stated that the helicopter’s nose made a sudden yaw to the right, which could not be corrected with reduction of throttle and full left pedal application. The helicopter touched down after a 270 degree turn, came to rest upright, with substantial damage to the main rotor blades, skids and tailboom. According to a Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular (AC) 90-95 titled "Unanticipated Right Yaw in Helicopters", operation of a helicopter with a tailwind as reported by the pilot or with a left quartering tailwind as determined by the METAR and the pilot's statement can result in unanticipated right yaw or loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE).
Factual narrative
The pilot of a helicopter was conducting a non-revenue sightseeing flight for one passenger. After lifting off, the pilot stated that he was hovering eastbound with the winds out of the west. A METAR taken on the airport approximately 5 minutes before the accident indicated the wind was from 340 degrees at 11 knots with gusts to 16 knots. The pilot further stated that the helicopter’s nose made a sudden yaw to the right, which could not be corrected with reduction of throttle and full left pedal application. The helicopter touched down after a 270 degree turn, came to rest upright, with substantial damage to the main rotor blades, skids and tailboom. According to a Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular (AC) 90-95 titled "Unanticipated Right Yaw in Helicopters", operation of a helicopter with a tailwind can result in unanticipated right yaw or loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1835E
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0255
- Airframe hours
- 1,750
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-G1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 8, 2009
- Departed
- KLEW · Lewiston, ME
- Destination
- KLEW · Lewiston, ME
- Airport
- KLEW · Auburn/Lewiston Municipal Airp
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Last flight review
- January 5, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,200 total · 41 in this make and model · 1,500 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- KLEW
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 8, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.