- Date
- May 9, 1990, 16:03 local (20:03 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Pierce, FL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N58275Hughes 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900509016489A
- Case key
- 32559
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
Improper touchdown during the autorotation by the dual student (ATP), his failure to maintain runway alignment, inadequate supervision by the CFI, and inadequate crew coordination. A factor related to the accident was the obstruction (taxiway light).
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 helicopter was on a VFR climbout from a parallel taxiway. The CFI, who was also the PIC, was providing instruction to an ATP working towards a CFI rating. The CFI initiated a simulated engine failure at 200 feet AGL and 60 KTS. The ATP began an autorotation. After completing the deceleration and initial pitch pull, the helicopter contacted the ground, bounced up, and slid to the right and rearward. The ATP saw a taxiway light and increased collective to avoid a collision, but experienced resistance on the flight controls. The CFI had not seen the taxiway light, but noticed a decay in engine/rotor RPM. He immediately applied downward pressure on the collective and left forward cyclic to stop the horizontal movement and level the helicopter. The CFI stated that he informed the ATP, he had the flight controls, which could not be substantiated by the ATP. The helicopter struck the taxiway light and taxiway with the right skid, then entered a dynamic rollover.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N58275
- Reported as
- Hughes 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1190849
- Airframe hours
- 3,559
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-D1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Flight Safety International
- Registered owner
- Flight Safety International
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 4, 1990 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- VRB · Vero Beach, FL
- Airport
- FPR · St Lucie County Intl
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
- 36
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,800 total · 500 in this make and model · 2,700 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FPR
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 N58275 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.