- Date
- August 11, 2001, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- San Antonio, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1234XSchweizer 269C-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20010811018709A
- Case key
- 53022
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 engine power while maneuvering for undetermined reasons.
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
About 45 minutes into the flight, the CFI demonstrated a power recovery autorotation. He then allowed his student to perform the maneuver. The CFI informed the student that he would be near the flight controls and advise on what actions to take during the maneuver. After the entry into the autorotation, the CFI checked that the engine and rotor RPMs appeared to be normal. At approximately 10-15 feet, the CFI instructed the student to apply engine power. The engine did not respond to throttle movement so the CFI took the controls, and it appeared that the engine had "failed." The helicopter then landed "hard" and turned 180-degrees. The reason for the loss of power was not determined.
Factual narrative
On August 11, 2001, approximately 1215 central daylight time, a Schweizer 269C-1 helicopter, N1234X, registered to and operated by Stinson Air Center of San Antonio, Texas, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at the Stinson Municipal Airport, San Antonio, Texas. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and his student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The local flight originated at 1130.
About 45 minutes into the flight, the CFI demonstrated a power recovery autorotation. He then allowed the student to perform the maneuver. The CFI informed the student that he "would be near the flight controls" and he would advise the student on corrective actions to take during the practice autorotation. Following the the entry into the autorotation, the CFI checked that the engine and rotor RPMs appeared to be normal. At approximately 10-15 feet agl, the CFI instructed the student to apply engine power. The engine power did not respond to throttle movement so the CFI took the controls, and it appeared that the engine had "failed." The helicopter then landed "hard" and turned 180-degrees, resulting in structural damage to the fuselage and tail boom.
The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1234X
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 24
- Airframe hours
- 1,385
- Engine
- Lycoming Ho-360-C1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Stinson Air Center
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 11, 2001 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- SSF · San Antonio, TX
- Destination
- SSF · San Antonio, TX
- Airport
- SSF · Stinson Municipal Airport
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- June 28, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,115 total · 177 in this make and model · 6,244 as pilot in command · 145 in the last 90 days · 85 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 42 total · 42 in this make and model · 42 in the last 90 days · 42 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 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.