- Date
- September 1, 1999, 10:22 local (14:22 UTC)
- Place
- Utica, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N58397Hughes 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990901045989A
- Case key
- 47272
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 control of the helicopter while maneuvering, which resulted in a hard landing. A factor in this accident was the pilot's lack of total experience in helicopters.
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 student pilot performed two uneventful quick stops. On the third quick stop, he lowered the collective 'too much with no forward motion' and the helicopter landed 'hard.' The helicopter's tail rotor contacted the taxiway and the aft portion of the helicopter's landing skid was pushed outward. Examination of the helicopter did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any. The pilot reported 20.6 hours of total flight experience in helicopters, all in the accident helicopter's make and model.
Factual narrative
On September 1, 1999, about 1022 eastern daylight time, a Hughes 269C, N58397, was substantially damaged while maneuvering at the Oneida County Airport, (UCA) Utica, New York. The certificated student pilot (SP) was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed a private heliport, in Oriskany, New York. The local instructional flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In a written statement, the pilot said he was performing ground proximity maneuvers which included two uneventful "quick stops." He further stated:
"...The third quick stop was on a heading of approximately 090 [degrees] into the wind of around 5 knots. I apparently lowered the collective too much with no forward motion. I did not stop the settling and made a hard landing on the rear of the skids..."
The helicopter's tail rotor contacted the taxiway and the aft portion of the helicopter's landing skid was pushed outward.
Examination of the helicopter by the FAA Inspector did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any.
The pilot reported 20.6 hours of total flight experience in helicopters, all in the accident helicopter's make and model.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N58397
- Reported as
- Hughes 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1090933
- Airframe hours
- 3,617
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard Rabe
- Registered owner
- Helicorp Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NONE · Oriskany, NY
- Destination
- UCA
- Airport
- UCA · Oneida County
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
- 65
- Certificates
- Student, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 748 total · 21 in this make and model · 585 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- UCA
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 N58397 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.