Schweizer 269C N2096W

Summary

On 15 May 2006 at about 21:35 local time, a Schweizer 269C registered N2096W was involved in an accident near Boise, Idaho, 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.

Date

15 May 2006 at 21:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Boise, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field (BOI)

Coordinates

43.5325, -116.2294

Aircraft

Schweizer 269C

Registration

N2096W

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Boise → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA06LA096

Nobody was injured.

The reduction of the throttle to idle at a high density altitude during a practice autorotation, which resulted in the engine stoppage. Factors contributing to the accident included the instructor pilot's improper planning by not adhering to the flight manual's warning to avoid reducing the throttle to the idle position at high density altitudes, and the uneven terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During an instructional flight, in which a practice autorotation was to be demonstrated, the instructor pilot instructed the student to reduce the throttle to idle to simulate an engine failure at altitude. During the course of the maneuver and after the throttle had been reduced to idle the instructor became aware that the engine had failed. An autorotation was completed to the ground into the wind to a grass field with a slight up slope, which resulted in the helicopter sliding backwards approximately 15 feet before the tail boom, which flexed up was impacted by the main rotor. The helicopter suffered damage to the tail boom, all three main rotor blades, and the tail rotor drive shaft. A subsequent engine run, which was overseen by two FAA inspectors, revealed no anomalies which would have precluded normal operations. The inspectors did note that while the idle rpm and idle mixture were adjusted poorly for altitude and temperature, this did not result in the loss of engine power; the instructor pilot's failure to follow the cautions in the helicopter's flight manual did result in the loss of power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.