Hughes 269C N8963F

Summary

On 3 May 1982 at about 21:08 local time, a Hughes 269C registered N8963F, operated by DON D. Goble, was involved in an accident near Flint, Michigan, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

3 May 1982 at 21:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Flint, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Bishop (FNT)

Coordinates

42.9699, -83.7195

Aircraft

Hughes 269C

Registration

N8963F

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

DON D. Goble

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Flint → Flint

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI82DA149

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRCREW WERE ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT TO PREPARE THE STUDENT, A RATED PILOT, FOR A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR RATING. AFTER PRACTICING SEVERAL AUTOROTATION APPROACHES, THE HELICOPTER WAS LANDED. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (IP) STATED THAT AFTER TOUCHDOWN, HE AND THE STUDENT WERE IN A DISCUSSION WHEN THEY HEARD A LOUD "POP". THE IP DEPLANED AND INSPECTED THE HELICOPTER, BUT FOUND NO IRREGULARITIES. THEY TOOK OFF AND PERFORMED ANOTHER AUTOROTATION. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE COLLECTIVE WAS LOWERED, THE HELICOPTER PITCHED LEFT AND FORWARD, AND THE ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE GROUND AND TAIL BOOM. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT FRONT SHOCK STRUT DAMPER ASSEMBLY, NO: 269A3150-5, HAD FAILED. TOTAL TIME ON THE PART WAS 3614 HRS. ACCORDING TO A METALLURIGICAL REPORT, A SINGLE OVERLOAD FRACTURE WAS FOUND AT THE CLEVIS ON THE PISTON END OF THE DAMPER. THE CFI DID NOT REPORT ANY HARD LANDINGS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.