Schweizer 269C N61193

Summary

On 27 April 1998 at about 14:45 local time, a Schweizer 269C registered N61193 was involved in an accident near San Juan. 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 1998 at 14:45

Classification

Accident

Location

San Juan

Nearest airport

Fernando Luis Ribas Domi. (JIG)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Schweizer 269C

Registration

N61193

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ceiba → San Juan

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL98LA065

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to adequately secure the cargo strap which became entangled in the tail rotor, leading to a loss of the tail rotor control. This was followed by an improperly executed emergency procedure and an in-flight collision with the ground. A factor was the inadequate procedure supplied by the manufacturer.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the FAA, the pilot had a cargo strap in an external basket which blew out of the container and wrapped around the tail rotor, damaging the pitch change links, and the 90 degree gearbox. The pilot attempted to hover during a run on landing, and the helicopter began spinning and impacted the ground. According to the pilot, he heard a bang, and then lost control of the anti-torque rotor pedals. Prior to touchdown, the helicopter yawed to the right, made a 360 degree turn, and impacted the ground. The Schweizer Aircraft Corp. Pilot's Flight Manual states that in the event of a tail rotor failure, a pilot should enter autorotation. The FAA's Advisory Circular 61-13B states that during the run on landing procedure, directional control should be maintained with cyclic control and by applying throttle to swing the nose to the right. One should not attempt to hover during a run on landing because it puts the helicopter at a high power setting. Autorotation should be used if the tail rotor failure occurs during a hover or if dangerous attitudes are incurred through the addition of power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.