N67TK

Substantial
Minor

SCHWEIZER 269CS/N: S1838

Accident Details

Date
Sunday, April 4, 2010
NTSB Number
CEN10CA183
Location
Idledale, CO
Event ID
20100404X13606
Coordinates
39.670276, -105.219718
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
2
Uninjured
0
Total Aboard
2

Probable Cause and Findings

The flight instructor's delayed remedial actions to regain rotor rpm, resulting in a rapid descent and hard landing.

Aircraft Information

Registration
Make
SCHWEIZER
Serial Number
S1838
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Model / ICAO
269CH269
Aircraft Type
Rotorcraft
No. of Engines
1
Seats
3
FAA Model
269C

Registered Owner (Current)

Name
BUCKLEY MICHAEL J
Address
4865 MCGIRL RD
City
BILLINGS
State / Zip Code
MT 59105-5007
Country
United States

Analysis

The flight instructor and private pilot were conducting an approach to a pinnacle landing pad. Two previous passes were made and both pilots estimated winds to be from the northeast at 8 knots. While approaching the landing pad from the southwest, the flight instructor noticed that the helicopter's rpm were slightly low and he reminded the private pilot to increase power until the rpm's were in the green arc of the rpm gauge. The private pilot did not increase power sufficiently enough to place the rotor rpm in the green arc and the helicopter began to descend rapidly. The flight instructor took control of the helicopter, increased power, and attempted to reverse course and travel downhill. The helicopter landed hard, bounced, and rolled approximately 1 1/4 times before coming to rest on its right side. Substantial damage was sustained to the fuselage and tail boom. An examination of the airframe by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies. Additionally, neither pilot reported a malfunction of the airframe or engine.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN10CA183