Hughes 269A N1040S

Summary

On 27 April 1997 at about 16:45 local time, a Hughes 269A registered N1040S was involved in an accident near Council Bluffs, Iowa, 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

27 April 1997 at 16:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States

Nearest airport

Council Bluffs Municipal (CBF)

Coordinates

41.2405, -95.8504

Aircraft

Hughes 269A

Registration

N1040S

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI97LA118

Nobody was injured.

failure of the student pilot to maintain directional control, inadequate supervision by the flight instructor (CFI), and subsequent failure of the pilot(s) to properly flare the helicopter during a hover autorotation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor (CFI) reported that during the third practice hover to autorotation maneuver, from about at three feet above ground level (agl), the student pilot applied right rudder pedal and an increase of collective input to cushion the impact at one foot agl. The helicopter landed on the left skid first followed by the right skid. The left front section of the skid broke at the junction to the under carriage. Examination of the skid revealed an overload fracture originating from outboard towards the inboard of the left skid. The pilot's operating handbook stated that a power failure would be indicated by sudden yawing of the aircraft to the left and that the right amount of right rudder pedal input would be necessary to compensate for yawing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.