# NTSB LAX99LA166: Schweizer 269C-1, N6148V, Concord, CA, April 30, 1999 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 30, 1999, 09:17 local (16:17 UTC) - Place: Concord, CA - Coordinates: 37.9999, -122.030647 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.9999&lon=-122.0306&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 30, 2000 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 46258 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX99LA166 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/46258/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA166 ## Probable cause The inadequate supervision of the student pilot by the flight instructor during the practice autorotation, which resulted in a delayed flare and the tail rotor contacting the ground. A factor was a misinterpreted communication between the flight instructor and student. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with terrain/water, landing - flare/touchdown - autorotation - performed, flightcrew - supervision - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - flare - delayed, flightcrew (cause) - crew/group coordination - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) ## Analysis The flight instructor and student were practicing straight-in autorotations with power recoveries. During the first four autorotations, the student was the primary manipulator of the controls. The student was initiating the flare too high and so the instructor told the student that they would do the next approach together with both of them on the controls. During the flare portion of the ensuing autorotation, the stinger struck the runway surface. The tail rotor then contacted the surface and the helicopter yawed 360 degrees to the right and came to rest approximately 100 feet where the tail rotor struck the runway. The main rotor severed the tail boom. The instructor reported that he believed that the student misinterpreted his instructions to mean that he (the instructor) would be making the primary control inputs, whereas, he had intended for the student to make control inputs to initiate the flare. He planned just to follow through on the controls to guide the student to flare a little lower than on the previous attempts. The flight instructor stated that the accident could have been prevented through 'better communication between student and instructor as to who is responsible for initiating a control input during all phases of flight and especially during critical phases.' ## Factual narrative On April 30, 1999, at 0917 hours Pacific daylight time, a Schweizer 269C-1 helicopter, N6148V, impacted the ground and severed the tail boom during a practice autorotation landing at the Concord, California, airport. The helicopter, operated by Helicopter Adventures, Inc., Concord, sustained substantial damage. The commercial licensed flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The local instructional flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 and originated at the Concord airport about 0830. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight instructor reported that he and the student were practicing straight-in autorotations with power recoveries. During the first four autorotations, the student was the primary manipulator of the controls. The instructor reported that the student was initiating the flare too high, so he told the student that they would do the next approach together with both of them on the controls. During the flare portion of the autorotation, the stinger struck the runway surface. The tail rotor then contacted the surface and the helicopter began to yaw to the right. The instructor rolled the throttle off after about 90 degrees of right yaw and entered a hovering autorotation. The helicopter ultimately yawed 360 degrees to the right and the landing gear skids contacted the ground with the aircraft coming to rest approximately 100 feet from the point where the tail rotor struck the runway. The main rotor severed the tail boom. The flight instructor stated that he had intended for the student to initiate the flare, and he planned just to follow through on the controls to guide him to flare a little lower than on the previous attempts. He reported that he believes that the student interpreted his instructions to mean that he (the instructor) would be making the primary inputs. The flight instructor reported that the accident could have been prevented through "better communication between student and instructor as to who is responsible for initiating a control input during all phases of flight and especially during critical phases." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N6148V](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6148V), registered now, S/N 0086, built 1998 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Schweizer 269C-1 - Registry model: [Schweizer 269C-1](https://openairdocs.org/model/schweizer-269c-1) (registry code 8059504) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming HO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ho-360-series) (registry code 41513, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 0086 - Airframe hours: 456 - Engines: Lycoming HO-360-C1A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Helicopter Adventures Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, April 28, 1999, 6 hours before - Departed: CCR - Airport: CCR, Buchanan ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 24; commercial, flight instructor; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 385 total, 310 in this make and model, 340 as pilot in command, 130 in the last 90 days, 33 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 3 knots - Visibility: 20 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 63 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: CCR ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19990430004409A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990430004409A), Apr 30, 1999: Hughes 269C1, Concord, CA, Substantial damage. Student pilot was practicing auto rotations in a Schweizer 269-C1 helicopter when the tail rotor struck the rwy. (-23) during this dual flight the instructor… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.