Schweizer 269C N130JS

Summary

On 11 December 2004 at about 20:50 local time, a Schweizer 269C registered N130JS was involved in an accident near Ontario, 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.

Date

11 December 2004 at 20:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Ontario, California, United States

Coordinates

34.0000, -117.5675

Aircraft

Schweizer 269C

Registration

N130JS

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rialto → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX05LA050

Nobody was injured.

a loss of engine power due to the Designated Pilot Examiner's failure to follow the flight manual procedures and directives regarding throttle settings to be used for practice autorotations.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter rolled over during an autorotation following a loss of engine power. During a practical flight test examination for a private pilot certificate, the Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) simulated a loss of engine power by retarding the throttle to idle. The student pilot lowered the collective and was performing an autorotation to the ground. The DPE noticed loss of engine noise then detected that the engine had lost power. The student pilot unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine. During the landing sequence, the tail rotor stinger and blades impacted the ground. As the helicopter was sliding to a stop, it veered to the left and rolled over. Examination of the aircraft systems and the engine failed to disclose any abnormality, and an engine operational run test was conducted. After the engine was started, the cockpit mounted oil pressure gauge displayed an oil pressure indication within the normal operating range, and proper operation of the electrical fuel boost pump and engine driven fuel pump were verified. Once the engine was operating at temperature, the throttle was advanced to about 2,500 rpm, at which time the magnetos were checked utilizing the cockpit mounted ignition switch. Both magnetos operated within manufacturer's specifications. The engine ran smoothly during the operational check and exhibited no unusual indications and no fuel or oil leaks. The Rotorcraft Flight Manual for the Schweizer 300C Helicopter Model 269C provides the following procedure for practice autorotations: "Split the needles by lowering the collective while maintaining throttle setting. The throttle correlation will establish a high idle rpm (approximately 2,500 rpm), which will aid in preventing the engine from loading up or stalling during recovery."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.