- Date
- July 24, 2019, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Springfield, TN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N269RRHughes 269A
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Loss of tail rotor effectiveness
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190724016109A
- Case key
- 99960
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 helicopter control and a loss of tail rotor effectiveness while hover-taxiing and turning toward a taxiway in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
Findings · 6
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, after landing and while hover taxiing and turning right toward the taxiway, the helicopter continued turning right and drifted past the taxiway. He applied full left pedal and then closed the throttle to perform an autorotation to decrease the speed of rotation to no avail. He added collective to reduce the descent rate, but the helicopter landed and slid into a drainage ditch, the main rotor blades impacted a berm near the taxiway, and the helicopter came to rest on its side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was from 320° at 11 knots, gusting to 16 knots. The pilot landed the helicopter on runway 04 and was turning right.
Factual narrative
The helicopter pilot reported that, after landing, while hover taxiing and turning right onto the taxiway, the helicopter continued the right turn and drifted off the taxiway. He applied full left pedal to no avail, so he closed the throttle to perform an autorotation to decrease the speed of rotation, also to no avail. He added collective to reduce the rate of descent, but the helicopter landed and slid into a drainage ditch, the main rotor blades impacted a berm near the taxiway, and the helicopter came to rest on its side against the berm. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported the wind was from 320° at 11 knots, gusting to 16 knots. The pilot landed the helicopter on runway 04 and was turning to the right.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N269RR
- Reported as
- Hughes 269A (No Series)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 105-0410
- Built
- 1964
- Airframe hours
- 4,353.7
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-B1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 24, 2019
- Departed
- CKV · Clarksville, TN
- Destination
- M91 · Springfield, TN
- Airport
- M91 · Springfield Robertson County, runway 04, 5,505 × 100 ft, asphalt
- 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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 13, 2018
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,698 total · 57.9 in this make and model · 1,408.8 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 8 knots, gusting 13
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KJWN, 21 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 1, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.