Schweizer 269C N88007

Summary

On 27 July 1999 at about 22:30 local time, a Schweizer 269C registered N88007 was involved in an accident near Jetmore, Kansas, United States. One person was 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 July 1999 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Jetmore, Kansas, United States

Coordinates

38.0810, -99.8898

Aircraft

Schweizer 269C

Registration

N88007

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hayes → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI99LA257

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's use of improper procedures by not following the helicopter manufacturer's recommended engine RPM reduction procedures during autorotations. A factor was the pilot not attaining the proper rotor RPM during the autorotation practice.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said he was going to practice an auto rotation. He said he '...rolled the throttle back to idle position and dropped the collective...[and]noted a red light on the dash and could hear the engine had quit running.' He said the subsequent auto rotation '...terminated in a hard landing.' The on-scene investigation revealed flight and powerplant control operational continuity and fuel in the accident helicopter's fuel tanks. The engine was test run and its low idle was 1,300 rpm. According to a representative from a company that maintains and rebuilds helicopters like that of the accident helicopter, '...it is possible for an engine to die when a rapid roll-off of [the] throttle is accomplished and too low an idle RPM setting exists.' The FAA Approved Flight Manual said that the pilot should 'Split the needles by lowering the collective while maintaining throttle setting. The throttle correlation will establish a high idle RPM (approximately 2500 RPM) and will prevent the engine from loading up or stalling on recovery.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.