- Date
- November 4, 2015, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mount Pocono, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N21496Schweizer 269C 1
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Allentown FSDO (FAA)
- Case key
- 92313
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 student pilot's failure to remove the tension applied to the cyclic before takeoff, which resulted in a loss of directional control and the tail rotor striking the ground.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The solo student helicopter pilot reported that during flight in the traffic pattern, her noise canceling headset malfunctioned, and she landed on the grass adjacent to the runway to troubleshoot the issue. After landing, she "locked the collective down" and "put some tension on the cyclic." Subsequently, the headset began to function, so she removed the friction on the the collective and applied power for hover flight, forgetting there was still tension applied to the cyclic. When power was applied, the student pilot reported that she did not have enough cyclic control and the helicopter hovered backwards and the tail rotor struck the ground. The tail rotor drive shaft was substantially damaged. The student pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The solo student helicopter pilot reported that during flight in the traffic pattern, her noise canceling headset malfunctioned, and she landed on the grass adjacent to the runway to troubleshoot the issue. After landing, she "locked the collective down" and "put some tension on the cyclic." Subsequently, the headset began to function, so she removed the friction on the the collective and applied power for hover flight, forgetting there was still tension applied to the cyclic. When power was applied, the student pilot reported that she did not have enough cyclic control and the helicopter hovered backwards and the tail rotor struck the ground. The tail rotor drive shaft was substantially damaged. The student pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N21496
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C 1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0358
- Built
- 2009
- Airframe hours
- 1,392.4
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-G1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hi Tech Helicopters Inc
- Registered owner
- Hi Tech Helicopters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 21, 2015
- Departed
- MPO · Mount Pocono, PA
- Destination
- MPO · Mount Pocono, PA
- Airport
- MPO · Pocono Mountains Muni
- Equipment
- 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 50 total · 50 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- KMPO
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 29, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 MB in all.