Schweizer 269C N1831A

Summary

On 11 August 2019 at about 18:48 local time, a Schweizer 269C registered N1831A was involved in an accident near Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 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

11 August 2019 at 18:48

Classification

Accident

Location

Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Lehigh Valley Intl (ABE)

Coordinates

40.6522, -75.4406

Aircraft

Schweizer 269C

Registration

N1831A

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2005

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Allentown → Allentown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA19LA245

1 person was seriously injured.

Inadequate maintenance of the helicopter’s magnetos, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power during the initial climb due to a failure of the left magneto and malfunction of the right magneto.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after takeoff, the pilot of the helicopter transmitted a mayday call over the radio. The helicopter subsequently impacted a building, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe, serious injury to the pilot, and minor injury to the passenger. Neither the pilot nor the passenger provided statements regarding the events that transpired during the flight. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions either, with the exception of the engine’s magnetos. Examination of the right magneto revealed evidence of corrosion and indications of misfiring in the distributor block assembly; therefore, it is likely that the right magneto was not performing optimally during the flight. Additionally, examination of the left magneto revealed a worn cam gear, and functional testing indicated that the magneto could not produce adequate spark for engine operation at any power setting. A review of the helicopter’s maintenance logbooks revealed that the most recent 100-hour inspection was performed about 3 months and 35 flight hours before the accident. The right magneto was installed about 2 years before the accident as a used-serviceable unit, with no previous history or time in service information. The left magneto was installed as a new unit at the same time as the right magneto. There was no indication that the left magneto had been serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s 500-hour inspection. Given this information, it is likely that the helicopter’s engine at least partially lost power shortly after takeoff, and that the loss of engine power was most likely the result of the failure of the left magneto and the sub-optimal output of the right magneto. Further, it is likely that a lack of adequate maintenance of both magnetos resulted in their degraded performance during the accident flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.