Hughes 269C N8602F

Summary

On 5 October 1988 at about 13:10 local time, a Hughes 269C registered N8602F, operated by Flight Safety Int'l, Inc., was involved in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

5 October 1988 at 13:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Vero Beach, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Vero Beach (VRB)

Coordinates

27.6395, -80.3896

Aircraft

Hughes 269C

Registration

N8602F

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Flight Safety Int'l, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA89FA004

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT STATED THAT WHILE DOING A STUCK LEFT PEDAL MANEUVER, THE HELICOPTER WAS FLOWN WITH A 5 DEGREE YAW TO THE LEFT. AS THE AIRSPEED ZEROED, THE COLLECTIVE WAS BROUGHT IN TO BRING THE NOSE AROUND AND LIGHT CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE GROUND. HE THEN STATED THAT GROUND RESONANCE STARTED AND PROGRESSED SO RAPIDLY THAT THE HELICOPTER DESTROYED ITSELF ALMOST IMMEDIATLY. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE THREE BLADE FRICTION DAMPERS REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT SUGGESTS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE BRONZE PLATES INSIDE THE DAMPERS WERE WORN BEYOND ACCEPTABLE LIMITS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD STOPPED THREE TIMES DURING THE FLIGHT TO RE-PHASE THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.