N321ET – SCHWEIZER 269C-1 – 2009-11-20 NTSB Accident Report

On November 20, 2009, a Schweizer 269C-1 (N321ET) was involved in an incident near Lebanon, PA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot’s failure to arrest the helicopter descent during the simulated engine out maneuver resulting in a hard landing.

The helicopter pilot stated that he was performing his first solo autorotation to a full landing. He began the maneuver at approximately 1000 feet, and near the ground noticed that he had a higher than normal rate of decent. He flared late and the helicopter “settled fast”. As the helicopter touched down, the tail struck the ground resulting in substantial damage to the tail boom, tail rotor drive shaft, and tail rotor assembly. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter prior to the accident.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA10CA075. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N321ET.