Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inadvertent loss of tail rotor effectiveness during takeoff to a hover and aborted landing in a grass area resulting in the grass catching fire from the engine exhaust and the helicopter being consumed by fire.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On October 16, 2004, about 1250 central daylight time, a Schweizer 269C, N119DM, registered to and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, caught fire during shutdown near Diamondhead Airport, Diamondhead, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The private-rated pilot and one passenger received no injuries, and the helicopter was destroyed. The flight had originated 15 minutes earlier from the Diamondhead Airport.
The pilot stated that a few minutes after departure, he performed a precautionary off airport landing in cleared area in marsh section next to the bay, to correct a sticking floor push-to-talk microphone switch. The helicopter was shut down and pilot corrected the sticking microphone switch. The helicopter was started and as it took off to a hover it spun to the right. The pilot managed to land the helicopter in the marsh area. He shut down the helicopter; however, the grass caught fire from the heat of the engine exhaust system. The fire quickly spread, consuming the helicopter and a section of the marsh area before the fire department arrived to extinguish the fire.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# MIA05CA006