- Date
- March 27, 2004, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Farmingdale, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9520FHughes 269B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20040327021199A
- Case key
- 58959
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 pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while hover-taxiing. A factor in this accident was the high wind condition.
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 pilot was hover-taxiing at a height of 5-feet, when a gust of wind blew the helicopter sideways and to the right. The right skid contacted the ground and the helicopter rolled over. The pilot stated he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions. He reported 450 hours of total rotorcraft flight experience, which included 26 hours in make and model. Wind speeds of 15 knots, with 18 knot gusts, were reported about the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
On March 27, 2004, about 1600 eastern standard time, a Hughes 269B, N9520F, was substantially damaged while hover-taxiing at Republic Airport (FRG), Farmingdale, New York. The certificated commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot stated he was hover-taxiing to runway 32, at a height of 5-feet, when a gust of wind blew the helicopter sideways and to the right. The right skid contacted the ground and the helicopter rolled over.
The pilot stated he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions. He reported 450 hours of total rotorcraft flight experience, which included 26 hours in the same make and model as the accident helicopter.
Winds speeds of 15 knots, with 18 knot gusts were reported FRG, about the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9520F
- Reported as
- Hughes 269B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 580362
- Airframe hours
- 13,332
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John J. Tomaino
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2003 · 32 hours before
- Departed
- FRG · Farmingdale, NY
- Destination
- FRG
- Airport
- FRG · Republic
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- November 9, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 17,400 total · 26 in this make and model · 16,800 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 15 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- FRG
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.