- Date
- July 18, 1992, 09:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Simi Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N280CASchweizer 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920718025919A
- Case key
- 27692
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 company's maintenace personnel improper adjustment of the aircraft's idle RPM and the failure of the instructor pilot to maintain adequate rotor RPM after the engine failed. The instructor pilot's lack of total experience in type of operation is a factor in the accident.
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 helicopter instructor pilot and dual student were practicing autorotations that were terminated with power recoveries at a 3-foot hover. During the sixth autorotative approach the engine failed and the helicopter landed hard. The hard landing substantially damaged the helicopter. An engine operational test after the accident disclosed that the engine would not operate at idle RPM. The CFI had logged 154 total helicopter flight hours of which 9 hours were in the accident helicopter make and model. He had also given 20 hours of helicopter flight instruction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N280CA
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- S1497
- Airframe hours
- 1,210
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-D1A, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Pacific Shore Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- California Airmotive Gp Leasin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 10, 1992 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
- Destination
- VNY
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 695 total · 9 in this make and model · 512 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- VNY, 11 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.