# NTSB MIA02LA070: Hughes 269C, N7490F, Bessemer, AL, March 24, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 24, 2002, 17:25 local (23:25 UTC) - Place: Bessemer, AL - Coordinates: 33.312778, -86.926109 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3128&lon=-86.9261&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 28, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FSDO FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 54388 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA02LA070 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54388/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54388 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA02LA070 ## Probable cause The failure of the flight instructor to adequately monitor the student's rotorcraft control, resulting in an abrupt cyclic input causing a tail rotor strike of the terrain while entering a hover, and the resulting rollover during an uncontrolled descent. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with terrain/water, hover - in ground effect - aircraft control - abrupt, dual student - monitoring - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - rotor system,tail rotor blade - blade strike (cause) - Roll over, descent - uncontrolled ## Analysis At the successful completion of one practice straight-in autorotation to the grass area between the runway and taxiway, terminating with a power-on three foot hover, the CFI asked the student to repeat the same maneuver. On the second attempt, the student over controlled aft cyclic and caused a tail rotor strike before the CFI could recognize and counter the student's abrupt control input. The rotorcraft entered an uncontrolled right yaw until the landing skid caught the terrain, and rolled over on its right side. The student and CFI evacuated the rotorcraft out the left door, unhurt. ## Factual narrative On March 24, 2002, about 1725 central standard time, a Hughes HU-269C, N7490F, registered to a private individual, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, crashed on the Bessemer Airport, Bessemer, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The rotorcraft sustained substantial damage, and the flight instructor and student were not injured. The flight originated about 25 minutes before the accident. According to the instructor, the student was practicing power off autorotations to a power on recovery, terminating in a 3-foot hover over a grassy area between runway 23 and the taxiway. On this particular autorotation, the student did not apply power to accomplish the recovery, and the CFI brought in the power to salvage the maneuver. The student applied abrupt back cyclic, and the tail rotor struck the ground, even though the CFI was riding the cyclic controls with the student. Following the tail rotor strike, the rotorcraft started spinning to the right, the right landing skid dug into the terrain, and the rotorcraft rolled over on its right side. There were no malfunctions of the rotorcraft or its components involved. According to an FAA inspector, the student induced the tail rotor strike by over controlling the cyclic control in the aft direction. The responsibility for the maintenance of control rests with the CFI, who allowed the maneuver to progress to a point that possibly exceeded his ability to identify and safely recover. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7490F](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7490F), registered now, S/N 570596 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Hughes 269C - Registry model: [Hughes 269C](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-269c) (registry code 4470504) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming HIO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-hio-360-series) (registry code 41524, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 570596 - Airframe hours: 7602.4 - Engines: Lycoming HIO-360 D1A 190 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: John R. McDonald - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, February 23, 2002, 5.2 hours before - Departed: EKY, Bessemer, AL - Airport: EKY, Bessemer, runway 23, 5,700 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 53; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: helicopter, airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review January 5, 2002; seat: right; flight hours: 1,858 total, 535 in this make and model, 1,778 as pilot in command, 26 in the last 90 days, 6 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 24; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 42 total, 41 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 170° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 34 °F - Altimeter: 30.01 inHg - Observed at: EET, 10 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020324004179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020324004179A), Mar 24, 2002: Hughes 269C, Bessemer, AL, Substantial damage. (-23) Dual flight instruction period to practice autorotations with power recoveries. Student over controlled with aft cyclic, resulting in tail boom ground… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 2, 2002, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54388. 445 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 369 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40395471&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Reports from Federal Agencies - FAA Inspector's Statement (item 2, .PDF, 75 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40395460&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Reports%20from%20Federal%20Agencies%20-%20FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Statement-Redacted.PDF 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.