- Date
- February 18, 1991, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Knowles, OK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8973FHughes 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910218002599A
- Case key
- 23305
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 maintain a proper descent rate during the maneuver and his delay in initiating the go-around.
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 decided to execute a practice autorotation to a pasture from an altitude of about 1,000 feet AGL. However, during the maneuver, which was initiated in gusty wind conditions, the aircraft developed an excessive sink rate. The pilot attempted to abort the maneuver and go around, but after applying power, he was unable to arrest the sink rate before the aircraft touched down hard.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8973F
- Reported as
- Hughes 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 430195
- Airframe hours
- 2,605
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stanley J. Barby
- Registered owner
- Stanley J. Barby
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 7, 1990 · 120 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Beaver, OK
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,445 total · 1,445 in this make and model · 1,376 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 25 °F
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 N8973F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.