- Date
- April 3, 1990, 11:35 local (16:35 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9128FHughes H500C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900403007499A
- Case key
- 23120
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 total failure of the engine for undertemined reasons and the pilot misjudging the flare prior to touchdown.
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 pilot of the turbine engine helicopter was in cruise flight when he smelled what he thought was burning oil. The engine flamed out a few seconds later. An autorotational descent was accomplished to an open school yard. During the flare/touchdown, the pilot misjudged and a hard landing occurred resulting in the loss of the tailboom when the main rotor blades struck it.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9128F
- Reported as
- Hughes H500C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 720398S
- Airframe hours
- 1,583
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 410 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Mark R. Lancaster
- Registered owner
- Lancaster, Mark
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 9, 1990
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- HOU · Houston Hobby
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 6,275 total · 300 in this make and model · 5,000 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HOU, 3 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.
Other investigations on N9128F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.