- Date
- February 15, 2006, 15:50 local (20:50 UTC)
- Place
- Titusville, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N61431Schweizer 269C-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060215003679A
- Case key
- 63262
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 improper landing flare by the pilot-rated student and the inadequate supervision of the pilot-rated student by the certified flight instructor, resulting in the improper touchdown of the helicopter and the helicopter rolling over.
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 certified flight instructor (CFI) stated that during a fourth practice 180-degree autorotation with a planned touchdown, the pilot-rated student "over rotated" while leveling the helicopter during the flare. The left skid impacted the ground and dug into the surface. The pilot-rated student stated that the maneuver was entered just south of the numbers of runway 36 for termination between runway 36 and taxiway "Alpha" into the wind. He called "throttle de-tent" which indicated the maneuver would terminate with touchdown. He initiated a normal flare and "...Upon leveling the aircraft it assumed a slight nose-low attitude causing the aircraft to bounce slightly and yaw to the left." The helicopter contacted the ground again while in a right sideward momentum causing the skid to dig into grass and the helicopter to roll over.
Factual narrative
On February 15, 2006, about 1550 eastern standard time, a Schweizer 269C-1, N61431, registered to and operated by Helicopter Adventures, Inc., experienced a hard landing during a practice autorotative landing to touchdown at Space Coast Regional Airport, Titusville, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91, local, instructional flight, from Space Coast Regional Airport. The helicopter was substantially damaged and there were no injuries to the certified flight instructor (CFI) or pilot-rated student. The flight originated about 1540.
The CFI stated that during a fourth practice 180-degree autorotation with a planned touchdown, the pilot-rated student "over rotated" while leveling the helicopter during the flare. The left skid impacted the ground and dug into the surface.
The pilot-rated student stated the maneuver was entered just south of the numbers of runway 36 for termination between runway 36 and taxiway "Alpha" into the wind. He called "throttle de-tent" which indicated the maneuver would terminate with touchdown. He initiated a normal flare and "...Upon leveling the aircraft it assumed a slight nose-low attitude causing the aircraft to bounce slightly and yaw to the left." The helicopter contacted the ground again while in a right sideward momentum causing the skid to dig into grass and the helicopter to roll over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N61431
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0064
- Engine
- Lycoming HO-360-C1A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Helicopter Adventures, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KTIX · Titusville, FL
- Destination
- KTIX · Titusville, FL
- Airport
- KTIX · Space Coast Regional Airport
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 23
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 800 total · 783 in this make and model · 60 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 28
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 172 total · 100 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.