Schweizer 269C N432MS
24 June 2008 · Buffalo, Wyoming, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 24 June 2008 at about 19:45 local time, a Schweizer 269C registered N432MS, operated by Northern Skies Aviation Inc., was involved in an accident near Buffalo, Wyoming, 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 19:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Buffalo, Wyoming, United States
- Nearest airport
- Johnson County Airport (KBYG)
- Coordinates
- 44.3225, -106.2611
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 269C
- Registration
- N432MS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Northern Skies Aviation Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Buffalo → Buffalo
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX08LA196
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot's attempted downwind takeoff that resulted in an aborted takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the unsuitable terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter pilot was picking up a biologist who was conducting land surveys. Prior to landing he circled the landing zone to observe the wind conditions. During the landing approach he transitioned out of effective translational lift earlier than expected, and attributed this to a reduced headwind caused by the enclosed terrain. During departure and acceleration to effective translational lift speed, the rotor speed began to decay. The ground speed was faster than he anticipated so he lowered the collective, and added forward cyclic, but could not maintain enough rotor speed for sustained flight. The pilot elected to land the helicopter ahead on a 30-degree uphill slope. After landing, the helicopter rolled back and the tail rotor made contact with the ground causing substantial damage to the tail rotor drive system. After the accident the pilot noted that the winds had shifted 180 degrees from his initial pre-accident observation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Schweizer 269 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 May 2008 | Schweizer 269D | San Antonio, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Apr 2008 | Schweizer 269C | Athens, Greece | Olympic Aviation, SA | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 Dec 2008 | Schweizer 269C | Panama City, Florida, United States | Emerald Coast Helicopters LLC | No injuries | - |
| 27 May 2008 | Schweizer 269C | Mt. Olive, Alabama, United States | Heliflight, LLC. | Minor injuries | - |
| 29 May 2008 | Schweizer 269C-1 | Reno, Nevada, United States | Bristow Academy | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 2008 | Schweizer 269 C-1 | Sunol, California, United States | Silicon Valley Helicopters | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jun 2008 | Mooney M20J | Evanston, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Dec 2008 | Cessna 210 | Sheridan, Wyoming, United States | Daleray Madewell | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 2008 | Cessna 172M | Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jul 2008 | Fowler SX300 | Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jun 2008 | Cirrus SR22 | Laramie, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Dec 2008 | Cessna 208B | Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States | Corporate Air | No injuries | - |