Schweizer 269C-1 N61413
25 September 2004 · Burbank, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 25 September 2004 at about 22:49 local time, a Schweizer 269C-1 registered N61413, operated by Group 3 Aviation, was involved in an accident near Burbank, California, 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 22:49
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Burbank, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Burbank (BUR)
- Coordinates
- 34.2008, -118.3586
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 269C-1
- Registration
- N61413
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Group 3 Aviation
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Van Nuys → Burbank
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX04LA331
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
the failure of maintenance personnel to correctly service the forward landing gear strut dampers in accordance with the manufacturer's maintenance instructions.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter encountered ground resonance after landing and sustained substantial damage in the vibratory event. The pilot-undergoing-instruction (PUI) was taking refresher training in the helicopter. The approach was normal; however, the touchdown was harder than normal. With the helicopter on the ground, the certified flight instructor (CFI) began discussing the touchdown with the PUI and the helicopter began to vibrate. The CFI did not have time to react prior to the helicopter self-destructing. Post-accident examination of the components found that in the forward landing gear dampers the pistons were fully extended and they contained fluid in excess of the levels specified in the maintenance instructions. Dampers in this condition will not compress or attenuate airframe motion and vibrations or prevent ground resonance. The last inspection on the helicopter was a 100-hour that was completed 4.5 hours prior to the accident flight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Schweizer 269 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Dec 2004 | Schweizer 269C | Ontario, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 2004 | Schweizer 269C-1 | Denton, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Oct 2004 | Schweizer 269C | Diamond Head, Mississippi, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Feb 2004 | Schweizer 269D | San Antonio, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Jun 2004 | Schweizer 269C-1 | Brentwood, California, United States | Helicopter Adventures Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 28 Feb 2004 | Schweizer 269C | Media, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Mar 2004 | Globe GC-1B | Placerville, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 May 2004 | Downer BELLANCA 14-19-2 | Lancaster, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 May 2004 | Beechcraft A60 | Gualala, California, United States | Richard L. Probert | No injuries | - |
| 21 Mar 2004 | Alon A2 | Cameron Park, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 2 Sep 2004 | Cessna 172S | Willits, California, United States | Edward A. Warburton | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 2004 | Cessna 172P | Granada Hills, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |