- Date
- March 14, 2018, 11:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- San Antonio, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N11047Hughes 269
- Defining event
- Enroute: Abrupt maneuver
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180314023949A
- Case key
- 96892
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 decision to relinquish the helicopter flight controls to a non-rated passenger during a 3 ft hover.
Findings · 4
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 helicopter pilot reported that he allowed his non-rated passenger to "try his hovering skills" at 3 ft above ground level. The pilot told the passenger, "you have the aircraft," and the pilot removed his hands from the flight controls. The passenger pushed the cyclic to its forward limit, and the helicopter impacted the ground. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor and tail rotor drive systems, and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The helicopter pilot reported that he allowed his non-rated passenger to "try his hovering skills" at 3ft AGL. The pilot told the passenger, "You have the aircraft" and the pilot removed his hands from the flight controls. The passenger pushed the cyclic to its forward limit, and the helicopter impacted the ground. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor and tail rotor drive systems, and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N11047
- Reported as
- Hughes 269 (C)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 211031
- Built
- 1981
- Airframe hours
- 3,035
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-01A, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John Deer Trustee
- Registered owner
- John Deer Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 12, 2017
- Departed
- SSF · San Antonio, TX
- Destination
- SSF · San Antonio, TX
- Airport
- SSF · Stinson 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 70
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 19, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,854 total · 2,561 in this make and model · 5,644 as pilot in command · 2.2 in the last 90 days · 1.2 in the last 30 days · 1.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- KSSF
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 5, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.