- Date
- April 18, 1996, 10:46 local (15:46 UTC)
- Place
- Silver, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N430CKSchweizer 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 16, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960418007849A
- Case key
- 19808
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 adequate rotor RPM.
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 was attempting to flush coyotes out of some thick brush by hovering the helicopter above the brush. The helicopter was hovering into a wind coming from the west at about 12 to 15 knots. The pilot stated that 'the wind calmed and I lost lift, my RPM's quickly lowered out of the green, increasing throttle wouldn't increase RPM's, and I was too close to the top of the brush to lower collective to gain RPM.' The helicopter settled into the brush and came to rest on its right side.
Factual narrative
On April 18, 1996, at 1046 central daylight time, a Schweizer 269C helicopter, N430CK, registered to and operated by Courtney King Ranch of Silver, Texas, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 flight, was substantially damaged while maneuvering near Silver, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the business flight for which a flight plan was not filed. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The flight originated at the Courtney King Ranch about 10 minutes prior to the accident.
The pilot was attempting to flush coyotes out of some thick brush by hovering the helicopter above the brush. The helicopter was hovering into a wind coming from the west at about 12 to 15 knots. The pilot stated that "the wind calmed and I lost lift, my RPM's quickly lowered out of the green, increasing throttle wouldn't increase RPM's, and I was too close to the top of the brush to lower collective to gain RPM." The tail rotor impacted the brush, then the right skid and the main rotor blades also hit the brush. The helicopter came to rest on its right side. The skids were bent, the tail boom was damaged, the rotor blades were destroyed, and the passenger side of the bubble was broken.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N430CK
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1642
- Airframe hours
- 336
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Courtney King
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 21, 1995 · 75 hours before
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 521 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.