N430CK

On April 18, 1996, at 1046 central daylight time, a Schweizer 269C helicopter, N430CK, registered to and operated by Courtney King Ranch of Silver, Texas, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 flight, was substantially damaged while maneuvering near Silver, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the business flight for which a flight plan was not filed. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The flight originated at the Courtney King Ranch about 10 minutes prior to the accident.

The pilot was attempting to flush coyotes out of some thick brush by hovering the helicopter above the brush. The helicopter was hovering into a wind coming from the west at about 12 to 15 knots. The pilot stated that "the wind calmed and I lost lift, my RPM's quickly lowered out of the green, increasing throttle wouldn't increase RPM's, and I was too close to the top of the brush to lower collective to gain RPM." The tail rotor impacted the brush, then the right skid and the main rotor blades also hit the brush. The helicopter came to rest on its right side. The skids were bent, the tail boom was damaged, the rotor blades were destroyed, and the passenger side of the bubble was broken.