No fatalities

27 May 2008: Schweizer 269C — Heliflight, LLC. — Mt. Olive, AL

Mt. Olive, AL, United States

On 27 May 2008, a Schweizer 269C operated by Heliflight, LLC. was involved in an aviation accident near Mt. Olive, AL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The flight instructor's inadequate remedial action following an encounter with ground resonance. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A Schweizer 269C helicopter sustained substantial damage after entering ground resonance while landing on a raised platform during a hover taxi.

Incident Details

A Schweizer 269C helicopter, operated by a certificated flight instructor and a student pilot, was conducting a hover taxi from the hangar area to a fuel pump, a distance of about 600 feet. The student pilot was initially at the controls.

Sequence of Events

Upon reaching the fuel pump, the student pilot expressed discomfort with landing on a raised platform in a confined area. The flight instructor then took control of the helicopter. The instructor proceeded to land the helicopter on the platform. Shortly after touchdown, the helicopter entered ground resonance. The flight instructor immediately rolled off the throttle, but the ground resonance intensified.

Damage

The ground resonance event resulted in substantial damage to the helicopter. The specific components damaged are not detailed in the source.

Contributing factors

Instructor/check pilot