Schweizer 269C N292B

Summary

On 28 June 2007 at about 16:30 local time, a Schweizer 269C registered N292B was involved in an accident near Slidell, Louisiana, 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

28 June 2007 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Slidell, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

30.1672, -89.6558

Aircraft

Schweizer 269C

Registration

N292B

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Slidell → Slidell

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW07CA146

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's encounter with settling with power condition while hovering out of ground effect. A contributing factor was the prevailing tailwind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The single-engine helicopter encountered a settling with power condition resulting in a hard landing on a marsh. The 3,300-hour commercial pilot was hovering the helicopter at approximately 100 feet above the ground (AGL) while performing a wildlife/mapping survey, approximately 100 feet above ground level (AGL), when he lost control of the helicopter. The helicopter's tail-boom separated and the main rotor blades impacted the ground during the hard landing. The helicopter came to rest in the upright position with the nose pointing skyward. The pilot was able to exit the helicopter unassisted. The pilot reported that he had a 15 knot tailwind, when he slowed the helicopter to mark a waypoint. As he applied left torque pedal and added collective, the main rotor RPM drooped. The pilot was unable to recover sufficient rotor RPM to prevent ground contact. The pilot further stated that there were no malfunctions with the helicopter's engine or controls. Visual metrological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and the temperature was reported as 85-degrees Fahrenheit.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.