- Date
- May 30, 1990, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tallulah, LA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N431MSSchweizer 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900530018999A
- Case key
- 23022
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
Loss of control due to a multiple bird strike and incorrect control inputs by the pilot in the flare. Contributing factors were the bird strike induced vibrations and the main rotor blade contact with the tail rotor drive shaft.
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
During cruise flight at 800 feet above ground level the pilot inadvertently flew the aircraft into a flock of birds. Following the bird strike the aircraft developed severe vertical vibrations and the pilot executed a precautionary landing. During the descent and during the flare prior to landing the main rotor blade flexed down and struck the tail boom resulting in the aircraft becoming uncontrollable. The aircraft struck the ground in a nose low attitude and rolled on its left side.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N431MS
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- S1435
- Airframe hours
- 230
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-DIA, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dooley Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 24, 1990 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- MEI · Meridian, MS
- Destination
- SHV · Shreveport, LA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 42
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 2,300 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 117 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MLU, 53 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.