Schweizer 300C N269FW
17 August 2002 · Haleyville, Alabama, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 17 August 2002 at about 03:15 local time, a Schweizer 300C registered N269FW was involved in an accident near Haleyville, Alabama, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously 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 03:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Haleyville, Alabama, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.2261, -87.6225
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 300C
- Registration
- N269FW
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Tuscaloosa → Russellville
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- ATL02LA159
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The failure of maintenance personnel to perform an adequate inspection of loose intake components, which resulted in a total loss of engine power and subsequent emergency descent, forced landing, and collision with terrain in dark night conditions.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During cruise flight, the helicopter lost engine power, and the pilot was unable to restore it. During the forced landing in the darkness, the pilot was unable to see the terrain, and the helicopter hit the ground hard. Examination of the engine revealed two lower screws of the No. 3 valve cover were missing. The attachment bolts of the intake pipes of both the No. 1 and No. 3 cylinder assemblies were found loose. The No. 3 intake pipe was found rotated approximately 180 degrees from the normally installed position. The gaskets normally installed under the intake pipe flanges of the No. 1 and No. 3 intake pipes were missing. The No. 1, No. 2, and No. 4 spark plugs were wet with fuel, and the No. 3 spark plug was dry and displayed tan-colored combustion deposits. A review of maintenance records revealed the engine had operated 38.2 hours since inspection.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Schweizer 300 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 May 2002 | Schweizer 300C | Weiz, Austria | S.P. Helicopter Service | No injuries | - |
| 8 Aug 2001 | Schweizer 300C | Cicero, New York, United States | Highland Helicopter Services | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Dec 2001 | Schweizer 300C | Stockerau, Austria | Aerial Helikopter | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Mar 2000 | Schweizer 300C | New Ulm, Texas, United States | Skylane Helicopters, LLC. | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 2006 | Schweizer 300C | Titusville, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Sep 2007 | Schweizer 300 CBI | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | Hummingbird Aviation | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jul 2002 | Beechcraft B50 | Clanton, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 2002 | Hughes HU-269-A | Hamilton, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jan 2002 | Consolidated-Vultee 108-M | Bayou La Batre, Alabama, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Mar 2002 | Cessna 182F | Pell City, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jan 2002 | Piper PA-28-151 | Bessemer, Alabama, United States | Bessemer Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 24 Mar 2002 | Hughes 269C | Bessemer, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |