Summary
On March 12, 2007, a Schweizer 269C (N2074K) was involved in an incident near Plymouth, MA. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The student pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during a hover, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
On March 12, 2007, at 0845 eastern daylight time, N2074K, a Schweizer 269C, was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground while hovering at the Plymouth Municipal Airport (PYM), Plymouth, Massachusetts. The certificated flight instructor and certificated private pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to the flight instructor, while at a hover, the private pilot initiated a clearing pedal turn to the right.
This incident is documented in NTSB report NYC07LA077. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N2074K.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The student pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during a hover, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On March 12, 2007, at 0845 eastern daylight time, N2074K, a Schweizer 269C, was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground while hovering at the Plymouth Municipal Airport (PYM), Plymouth, Massachusetts. The certificated flight instructor and certificated private pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to the flight instructor, while at a hover, the private pilot initiated a clearing pedal turn to the right. After about a quarter turn, the helicopter "violently yawed to the right, and crashed." The flight instructor reported that the helicopter impacted the ground before he could react.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the helicopter's left skid impacted the ground during a hover, and then the helicopter rolled onto its left side. Examination of the helicopter by a representative from Schweizer and the FAA revealed no mechanical deficiencies. Substantial damage was noted to the fuselage and tail boom.
The FAA inspector additionally reported that the flight instructor was involved in an unreported accident on February 1, 2007, in the same helicopter. According to the inspector, the flight instructor was practicing hovering with a different student, when the helicopter yawed to the left and impacted the ground.
The flight instructor reported 310 hours of total flight experience, all of which were in rotorcraft.
The private pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and rotorcraft-helicopter. He reported 940 hours of total flight experience, 163 of which were in rotorcraft.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC07LA077