- Date
- May 26, 1993, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Van Nuys, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N58407Hughes 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930526015279A
- Case key
- 28392
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 maintain the altitude while maneuvering toward the parking area. The student pilot's lack of total experience was a factor in this 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 student helicopter pilot was conducting a local area solo flight. After practicing several takeoffs and approaches the student pilot returned to the departure airport and executed an approach to a hover at the operator's facility. The student pilot then aerial taxied to the designated parking area. While maneuvering rearward to land in the spot, the heel of the skids struck the ground and the helicopter tipped backward striking the tail rotor blades on the ground.
Factual narrative
On May 26, 1993, at about 1330 hours Pacific daylight time, a Hughes 269C helicopter, N58407, struck the tail rotor while aerial taxiing to a parking area at Van Nuys Airport (VNY), Van Nuys, California. The noncertificated student pilot was completing a local visual flight rules solo flight. The helicopter, operated by Orbic Helicopters, Inc., VNY, sustained substantial damage. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight departed VNY at about 1250 hours.
The operator reported in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2, that the student pilot had been practicing takeoffs and approaches at the practice area. The student pilot returned to VNY and executed an approach to a hover and then aerial taxied to the designated parking area. While maneuvering rearward toward the parking spot the heel of the skids struck the ground and the helicopter tipped backward striking the tail rotor blades on the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N58407
- Reported as
- Hughes 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1190846
- Airframe hours
- 3,492
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-D1A, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Orbic Helicopters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Mo-Laud Production Co. Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 10, 1993 · 42 hours before
- Airport
- VNY · Van Nuys
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 53 total · 53 in this make and model · 35 as pilot in command · 53 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N58407 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.