Hughes OH-6A N536
15 November 2003 · Greenville, South Carolina, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 15 November 2003 at about 15:45 local time, a Hughes OH-6A registered N536 was involved in an accident near Greenville, South Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Greenville, South Carolina, United States
- Nearest airport
- Greenville Downtown (GMU)
- Coordinates
- 34.8419, -82.3500
- Aircraft
- Hughes OH-6A
- Registration
- N536
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Greenville → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL04LA037
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot's improper landing flare, resulting in a hard landing and a main rotor/tailboom strike.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the certified flight instructor (CFI), while conducting an instructional flight an autorotation was performed. After the autorotation the CFI brought the helicopter to a hover, and then climbed to an altitude of approximately 200 feet for another practice autorotation. The helicopter briefly shuttered and the aft section of the tail boom separated from the airframe. The helicopter began spinning and came to rest in a thicket of pine trees. According to a witness at the scene of the practice autorotation, he recalled hearing a loud "pop" when the helicopter touched down. The CFI did not hear or feel anything unusual during or after the autorotation, and reported a normal takeoff. A survey of the first touchdown point revealed a pie shaped piece of blue metal on the ground. Further examination revealed the pie shaped piece of metal fit an area on the tail boom. Examination revealed the main rotor blades had blue paint on the tips. No mechanical or flight control malfunctions were reported by the CFI.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hughes OH-6A accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 May 2003 | Hughes OH 6A | Pan Tak, Arizona, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Nov 2003 | Hughes OH-6A | Brooksville, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Oct 2003 | Hughes OH-6A | Eagle Pass, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Aug 2004 | Hughes OH-6A | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 25 Oct 2004 | Hughes OH-6A | Tucson, Arizona, United States | Tucson Sector Air Operations | Serious injuries | - |
| 29 Nov 2002 | Hughes OH-6A | Snohomish, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Mar 2003 | Daigneault EAA BI-PLANE | Easley, South Carolina, United States | Christine Terrell | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Nov 2003 | Piper PA-28R | Columbia, South Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jun 2003 | Piper PA-32-300 | Fort Mill, South Carolina, United States | Package Express | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 2003 | Piper PA-46-310P | Hilton Head Is, South Carolina, United States | Robert W. Bell Jr. | Fatal | 2 |
| 28 Jan 2003 | Mooney M20K | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States | Karole Kay Jensen | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 May 2003 | Kerner LANCAIR IV | Allendale, South Carolina, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |