- Date
- June 1, 1996, 09:48 local (16:48 UTC)
- Place
- Georgetown, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9332FHughes 269B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 8, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960601012369A
- Case key
- 29459
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
loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s), while practicing an autorotation, which resulted in a forced landing; and the flight instructor's misjudged landing flare during the emergency autorotation/landing.
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
During a dual instructional lesson, the CFI initiated a practice autorotation from 1,000 feet above ground level (agl) while in the traffic pattern. The CFI reported that as the helicopter descended through 800 feet agl, all engine power was suddenly lost and the practice maneuver turned into a forced landing. Just prior to experiencing the engine power loss, all instruments had been in the green. The CFI further stated that the helicopter touched down softly at the approach end of the runway with a forward speed between 2 and 3 miles per hour. Thereafter, the helicopter tipped forward, shook violently, and the main rotor blade contacted the airframe which resulted in substantial damage.
Factual narrative
On June 1, 1996, at 0948 hours Pacific daylight time, the pilot of a Hughes 269B, N9332F, initiated a practice autorotation from 1,000 feet above ground level (agl) while in the traffic pattern at the Georgetown Airport, Georgetown, California. At the time, the certified flight instructor (CFI) was providing dual instruction to his student. The aircraft was substantially damaged and there were no injuries. The flight originated at 0920 from private property in Foresthill, California.
The CFI reported that as the helicopter descended through 800 feet agl, all engine power was suddenly lost and the practice maneuver turned into a forced landing. Just prior to experiencing the engine power loss, all instruments had been "in the green." The CFI further stated that the helicopter touched down softly at the approach end of the runway with a forward speed between 2 and 3 miles per hour. Thereafter, the helicopter tipped forward, shook violently, and the main rotor blade contacted the airframe which resulted in substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9332F
- Reported as
- Hughes 269B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 690039
- Airframe hours
- 3,200
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Erik Vandagriff
- Registered owner
- Rick Patterson, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1996 · 70 hours before
- Departed
- Q61 · Foresthill, CA
- Destination
- Q61 · CA
- Airport
- Q61 · Georgetown, runway 16, 2,980 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 25
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,433 total · 53 in this make and model · 53 as pilot in command · 53 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 150 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °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 N9332F · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.