Schweizer HUGHES 269C N36254
10 March 1999 · Laredo, Texas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 10 March 1999 at about 15:10 local time, a Schweizer HUGHES 269C registered N36254 was involved in an accident near Laredo, Texas, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 15:10
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Laredo, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 27.5097, -99.4992
- Aircraft
- Schweizer HUGHES 269C
- Registration
- N36254
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW99LA092
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The loss of engine power due to a bearing shift, which resulted in fatigue cracking of the crankshaft and subsequent failure of the crankshaft. A factor was a lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter was at a 50-foot hover over a creek when the pilot heard a loud banging, followed by a loss of engine power. The pilot executed a right pedal turn and set the helicopter down hard in a creek. Examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft was separated at the number 3 main bearing journal to number 3 connecting rod journal crossover cheek. A magnaflux examination of the crankshaft revealed that the number 3 main bearing journal displayed lateral cracks. Examination of the crankshaft fracture surfaces revealed that the crankshaft had failed in fatigue. The fracture features were damaged near the origin area; however, 'nearby crack arrest positions clearly indicated crack initiation from at least two locations on the journal surface near the crank cheek.' Examination of the number 3 bearing shell halves revealed that 'one shell had shifted relative to the other when the damage occurred.'
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Schweizer HUGHES accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Jan 1991 | Schweizer HUGHES 269C | Princeton, Oregon, United States | Fredrick R. Teufel | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Oct 1999 | Sturges SPEZIO SPORT | Mathis, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 8 May 1999 | Cessna 172M | Lancaster, Texas, United States | Marvin E. Scott | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 May 1999 | Grumman-Schweizer G164-B | Garwood, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jan 1999 | Cessna 150H | Nemo, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 1999 | Swearingen SA-227-AC | San Antonio, Texas, United States | Merlin Express | No injuries | - |
| 17 Aug 1999 | Air Tractor AT-402 | Snyder, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |