On January 12, 1996, a Schweizer 269C (registration N3623T) was involved in an aviation accident near San Ygnacio, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The separation of the swedged ball on the end of the clutch control cable, which allowed the rotor drive system clutch assembly to disengage. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A helicopter rolled over after a clutch control cable failure during low-altitude lateral flight while herding cattle. The pilot heard a bang, lost tail rotor control, and autorotated, but the helicopter rolled on landing.
Incident Overview
While herding cattle, the helicopter was moving laterally at about 70 feet out of ground effect. The pilot heard a loud 'bang' and applied anti-torque pedal to straighten the helicopter with the flight path, but the helicopter did not respond to pedal inputs. The engine produced high RPM, but the tail rotor and main rotor RPM decreased. The pilot initiated an autorotation and landed on both skids. During touchdown with lateral movement, the helicopter rolled over and came to rest on its side.
Post-Inspection Findings
Inspection of the helicopter revealed that the swedged ball on the end of the clutch control cable had separated. This allowed the rotor drive system clutch assembly to disengage.
Probable cause
The separation of the swedged ball on the end of the clutch control cable, which allowed the rotor drive system clutch assembly to disengage.
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