ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 316319
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| Date: | Saturday 1 July 2023 |
| Time: | 12:00 |
| Type: |  Schweizer 269C (300C) |
| Owner/operator: | Diesel Doctors of Lake City Inc |
| Registration: | N9WZ |
| MSN: | S1882 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2005 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2909 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Macclenny, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Macclenny, FL |
| Macclenny, FL | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
On July 1, 2023, about 1200 eastern daylight time, a Schweizer 269C helicopter, N9WZ, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Macclenny, Florida. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries and two passengers were not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
According to the pilot, he flew the helicopter to the accident site earlier in the day with no anomalies noted during the preflight inspection, the flight itself, and the postflight inspection. He said he briefed and loaded two passengers, performed the engine start and then “inadvertently stalled the engine” during main rotor engagement. After the rotor stopped, he performed engine start, rotor engagement, run-up, and “ground check with no defects noted.” The pilot said when he started to raise the collective control for takeoff, he felt a “very slight vibration that subsided instantly” but he lowered the collective, performed a magneto check, checked the gauges, “felt for any vibration, and listened for any malfunction; “Everything” seemed to be in order” so he initiated the takeoff.
According to the pilot, “As I slowly began to raise the collective, instantly an extremely violent left to right rocking motions began. I considered lifting into the air in case I was in ground resonance, but the motion was instantaneous and extremely violent. I was convinced that I had a major malfunction and not ground resonance.” He lowered the collective, reduced the throttle to idle, and the helicopter, which had not left the ground, “disintegrated around us.”
A 21-second video captured by a witness depicted the seconds before the accident, and the accident itself. The video was taken from behind the helicopter and was of low resolution. Sounds consistent with engine and main rotor operating rpm were heard before both rpm signatures appeared to droop as the helicopter became light on the skids, rotated nose-left around the main rotor mast about 20° before it settled to the ground, instantaneously rocked left and right, the main transmission and mast assembly became free of its mounts and the turning main rotor destroyed the tailboom.
The pilot, who also owned the helicopter, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land, multiengine land, instrument airplane, rotorcraft-helicopter, and instrument helicopter. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) second-class medical certificate was issued September 1, 2022. The pilot reported 4,908 total hours of flight experience, of which 389 hours were in helicopters. According to the pilot, all his helicopter experience was in the accident helicopter.
The helicopter was manufactured in 2005 and was powered by a Lycoming, 190-horsepower engine. The helicopter’s most recent annual inspection was completed February 7, 2023, at 2,909.5 total aircraft hours.
he helicopter was recovered to the pilot’s hangar. Examination of photographs revealed that the structure of the cockpit and the instrument panel were intact, but the overhead greenhouses and the pilot’s and copilot’s windscreens were all fractured. The main transmission was free of its mounts and lay aft of the engine, which was the secure in its mounts. The main-rotor mast, with main rotor head attached, was secure in the transmission. All three blade hubs were secure in their grips. All three main rotor blades appeared to have been cut about 3 feet outboard of their respective grips to affect recovery. Remnants of the tailboom appeared entangled beneath the main rotor transmission and mast assembly.
The helicopter was retained for examination at a later date.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2023/07/01/mechanical-failure-causes-helicopter-crash-in-baker-county-troopers-say/
https://news.yahoo.com/heavy-police-presence-baker-county-180849221.html
https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/helicopter-crashes-in-baker-county-due-to-mechanical-failure-and-causes-minor-injuries/77-6e4a345f-049c-41ba-aeb3-db7e17f1d6d7
NTSB
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=9WZ
https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ff27e03fbf14e2399f8f840/1610388042456-ZRVRV5B24L4THCLC6IQK/20201228_173550.jpg?format=1500w (photo)
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Jul-2023 02:53 | Geno | Added |
| 02-Jul-2023 08:46 | RobertMB | Updated |
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