Schweizer 269C N2099S

Summary

On 19 March 2013 at about 22:30 local time, a Schweizer 269C registered N2099S, operated by Bristow Academy Inc, was involved in an accident near Titusville, Florida, 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

19 March 2013 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Titusville, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Space Coast Regional Arpt (TIX)

Coordinates

28.5061, -80.7839

Aircraft

Schweizer 269C

Registration

N2099S

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Bristow Academy Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Titusville → Titusville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA13LA180

Nobody was injured.

An engine failure due to the separation of the engine crankcase, which resulted from the lateral movement of the center main bearing and the subsequent blocking of the oil feed hole that supplied oil to the No. 2 connecting rod, which then led to its failure due to oil starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after takeoff, the student pilot notified an air traffic controller that the helicopter was vibrating and requested to return to the airport. The flight instructor reported that, about 1/2-mile east of the airport, he and the pilot heard a loud "bang." In response, the student pilot lowered the collective and then the flight instructor took over the controls and entered an autorotation. The helicopter touched down hard on a road, which resulted in substantial damage to the tailboom and diagonal strut. Postaccident examinations revealed that the engine crankcase was breached and that the No. 2 cylinder rod had failed. Further examinations of the engine revealed evidence that the center main bearing had spun in the bore and moved laterally. This movement covered the oil feed hole that supplied oil to the No. 2 connection rod and led to its failure due to oil starvation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.