- Date
- May 27, 2008, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mt. Olive, AL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N368HFSchweizer 269C
- Defining event
- Landing: Ground resonance
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080527838579A
- Case key
- 68093
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 flight instructor's inadequate remedial action following an encounter with ground resonance.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The certificated flight instructor and student pilot were conducting a hover taxi in a Schweizer 269C helicopter, from the hangar area to a fuel pump, a distance of approximately 600 feet. The student was initially at the controls. The flight instructor took the controls from the student upon reaching the fuel pump, after the student stated he was uncomfortable landing on a raised platform in the confined area. The flight instructor landed the helicopter on the platform, where it then "entered into ground resonance." The flight instructor "rolled off the throttle immediately," but the ground resonance intensified, resulting in substantial damage to the helicopter.
Factual narrative
The certificated flight instructor and student pilot were conducting a hover taxi in a Schweizer 269C helicopter, from the hangar area to a fuel pump, a distance of approximately 600 feet. The student was initially at the controls. According to the flight instructor, he took the controls from the student upon reaching the fuel pump, after the student stated he was uncomfortable landing on a raised platform in the confined area. The flight instructor landed the helicopter on the platform, where it then "entered into ground resonance." The flight instructor "rolled off the throttle immediately," but the ground resonance intensified, resulting in substantial damage to the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N368HF
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- S1616
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Heliflight, LLC.
- Registered owner
- Richard Parker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- AL18 · Mt. Olive, AL
- Destination
- AL18 · Mt. Olive, AL
- Airport
- AL18 · Parker Field
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,100 total · 150 in this make and model · 1,900 as pilot in command · 98 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Injuries
- Minor
- Medical
- Unknown
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KBHM
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.