Hughes 269C N1105P

Summary

On 4 December 1996 at about 21:35 local time, a Hughes 269C registered N1105P was involved in an accident near Mayfield, Kentucky, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 December 1996 at 21:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Mayfield, Kentucky, United States

Coordinates

36.7303, -88.6391

Aircraft

Hughes 269C

Registration

N1105P

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Henning → Indianapolis

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD97LA028

Nobody was injured.

disengagement of the main transmission aft pinion nut, allowing the tail rotor splined drive sleeve to disengage from the pinion, which resulted in loss of directional control and an emergency (autorotative) landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was to ferry the helicopter. The helicopter had been cruising at 1,200 feet MSL for over an hour, when the nose started to yaw to the right. Unable to control the yaw, the pilot entered an autorotation at about 70 mph to a field. During the forced landing, the helicopter collided with a fence. Examination of the helicopter revealed that the aft pinion nut of the main transmission had disengaged, which allowed the tail rotor splined drive sleeve to disengage from the pinion and tail rotor drive shaft. Investigation did not determined why the aft pinion backed off. The last annual inspection was completed on 6/7/96. The helicopter had accumulated 66 hours of flight time, since the annual inspection.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.