Schweizer 269C-UNDESIGNAT N315TV

Summary

On 23 August 2015 at about 23:45 local time, a Schweizer 269C-UNDESIGNAT registered N315TV was involved in an accident near Mesa, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 August 2015 at 23:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Mesa, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Falcon Fld (FFZ)

Coordinates

33.4608, -111.7283

Aircraft

Schweizer 269C-UNDESIGNAT

Registration

N315TV

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1998

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mesa → Mesa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR15LA249

1 person had minor injuries.

The disbondment of a main rotor damper, which resulted in the degradation of its damping action and led to excessive main rotor vibrations and oscillations that caused substantial damage to the helicopter in flight and led to a hard landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot reported that, after returning from a noneventful personal flight and during the approach for landing, he noticed erratic cyclic control movements. He attempted an emergency landing, but the cyclic continued to move erratically counter-clockwise, and the helicopter subsequently landed hard. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that a main rotor damper had disbonded, which would have resulted in the degradation of its damping capability and excessive main rotor vibrations and oscillations. This would have caused substantial damage in the main rotor mast supporting structure and aft cabin bulkhead before the landing and the erratic cyclic control movements reported by the pilot. Further examination of the helicopter and engine did not reveal any additional evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.