Schweizer 269C N6143K
4 August 2010 · Baldwin, Florida, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 4 August 2010 at about 15:15 local time, a Schweizer 269C registered N6143K, operated by City of Jacksonville Mosquito Control, was involved in an accident near Baldwin, Florida, United States. One person was 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 15:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Baldwin, Florida, United States
- Coordinates
- 30.3111, -81.9467
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 269C
- Registration
- N6143K
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- City of Jacksonville Mosquito Control
- Operating rule
- Public Use
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Observation
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Jacksonville → Baldwin
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA10CA399
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
A loss of tail rotor effectiveness during a hover.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the pilot of the helicopter, during a mosquito breeding inspection flight he entered a hover about 2 feet above a field of tall vegetation and "within 10-15 seconds the nose of the aircraft began to yaw to the right." The pilot corrected with full left anti-torque pedal and attempted to "enter into translational lift" as the helicopter continued to rotate. The right skid contacted the ground and the helicopter rolled onto its side, sustaining substantial damage to the main rotor blades, fuselage, and skids. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions of the helicopter prior to the accident. He recommended that, "inspection during a cooler part of the day or with presence of wind, or inspecting while moving forward could have prevented the accident." About the time of the accident an airport weather station about 6 miles southeast of the accident site reported variable winds at 5 knots and a temperature of 31 degrees Celsius.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Schweizer 269 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Aug 2010 | Schweizer 269C | Caldwell, Idaho, United States | Elkhorn Aviation Inc. dba Baker Aircraft | No injuries | - |
| 16 Oct 2010 | Schweizer 269C | Englewood, Colorado, United States | Mountain One Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jun 2010 | Schweizer 269C-1 | Asheville, North Carolina, United States | WNC Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jan 2010 | Schweizer 269C-1 | Grantsville, Maryland, United States | Aerial Resources LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 May 2010 | Schweizer 269C | Ormond Beach, Florida, United States | Tomlinson Aviation Inc | No injuries | - |
| 4 Apr 2010 | Schweizer 269C | Idledale, Colorado, United States | Aerial Resources LLC | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct 2010 | Long EZ | Leesburg, Florida, United States | Allen Dunlap | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 2010 | Aero Commander 560E | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Oct 2010 | Mooney M20E | New Smyrna Beach, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Apr 2010 | Cessna 152 | Cross City, Florida, United States | Pelican FTC | No injuries | - |
| 1 May 2010 | Interstate S1A | Lakeland, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Mar 2010 | Hughes 369 | Naples, Florida, United States | Collier Mosquito Control District | No injuries | - |