ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 45246
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| Date: | Thursday 10 April 2003 |
| Time: | 17:30 |
| Type: |  Hughes 269B |
| Owner/operator: | Heli-Fun, Inc. |
| Registration: | N16133 |
| MSN: | 180348 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1968 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 6406 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming HIO-360-A1A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Auburn, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Auburn, CA (AUN) |
| Auburn, CA (AUN) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The helicopter impacted the ground at a high rate of descent during a local instructional flight. Some minutes prior to the accident, a witness on a farm about 3 miles from the accident site heard and observed the helicopter performing maneuvers consistent with multiple practice autorotations to a power recovery. The helicopter then flew off in the direction of the airport. Witnesses near the accident site observed the helicopter in level controlled flight about 500 feet above ground level flying in the direction of the airport. They observed the helicopter's nose drop and then it dove toward the ground and disappeared behind a tree line. These witnesses heard normal sounds coming from the engine. Ground scars and the wreckage exhibited evidence consistent with the helicopter colliding with the ground at a high rate of descent in a level upright attitude and rolling on its right side. The main rotor blades displayed evidence consistent with having flexed downward and slicing into the tail boom at a high rotational rate and a driven energy state. Other evidence in the drive train was consistent with engine rotation and power production. An airframe and engine inspection revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation and functionality of the control system.
Probable Cause: the misjudged flare maneuver by an unknown crewmember during a likely practice autorotation that resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20030426X00576&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 08-Dec-2017 18:32 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative] |
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