Hughes 269A N653CH

Summary

On 25 August 2019 at about 13:45 local time, a Hughes 269A registered N653CH, operated by Kelley Aviation Consultants Llc, was involved in an accident near Shamokin, Pennsylvania, 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

25 August 2019 at 13:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Shamokin, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Northumberland County (N79)

Coordinates

40.8369, -76.5525

Aircraft

Hughes 269A

Registration

N653CH

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1965

Engines

1

Operator

Kelley Aviation Consultants Llc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Shamokin → Shamokin

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA514

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper landing flare during an autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was a loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter pilot reported that he was being evaluated for a pilot position with a perspective employer, who was an airplane pilot-rated passenger and occupied the right front seat. He was asked to perform an autorotation as part of the evaluation, and while entering the autorotation, he noticed that the rotor and engine needles were split and that the engine tachometer indicated 0 rpm. He believed that the engine had failed. The pilot maintained the rotor rpm in the green and entered a flare about 40 ft above ground level. He attempted to cushion the landing, but the helicopter landed hard. The pilot reported that he could not hear if the engine was running during the flight because he was wearing a noise-canceling headset. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the horizontal airframe tube cross-member. During postaccident examination of the helicopter, the throttle linkage functioned normally. All spark plugs were removed and examined and exhibited indications of normal combustion. A fuel sample was obtained through the sump valve, and no water or particulate contamination was found. No evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures were found with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.