Introduction
On May 24, 2012, at 1503 eastern daylight time, a Schweizer 269C helicopter, registration N7505Y, sustained substantial damage during a practice run-on landing at Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), Asheville, North Carolina. The flight instructor and a private pilot receiving instruction were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
Accident Sequence
The pilot receiving instruction, who also owned the helicopter, stated the purpose of the flight was a flight review. About 50 minutes into the flight, the instructor asked the pilot to demonstrate a run-on landing to runway 16. The pilot approached at about 40 knots and touched down left of the runway centerline on both skids. As he lowered the collective, the helicopter's right center skid shoe struck a runway centerline light, shearing off the right skid and its support arms.
The pilot then raised the collective, lifted the helicopter to a hover, and turned toward the taxiway to land. Shortly after, engine and rotor RPM began to drop. The pilot opened the throttle and lowered the collective, setting the helicopter onto the left skid. The helicopter rolled over and came to rest on its right side, resulting in substantial damage to the main rotor blades.
Postaccident Findings
A postaccident examination by the pilot revealed that during the impact with the centerline light, the front landing gear crossbeam was pushed aft, crimping the fuel supply line. An FAA inspector examined the runway centerline lights and found no anomalies with their placement or orientation.
A representative from Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation stated that all skid shoes installed on Schweizer 269 helicopters during production were single-piece steel conforming tightly to the skid. Examination of photographs showed the accident helicopter's skid shoes were constructed from a flat metal plate attached by two brackets, leaving a gap. The representative noted these skid shoes were not representative of those installed or sold by the manufacturer. Review of the helicopter's maintenance logbook and FAA airworthiness records revealed no entries related to replacement of the skid shoes.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The helicopter, manufactured in 1988, was equipped with a Lycoming HIO-360, 190-horsepower reciprocating engine. Its most recent annual inspection was conducted on June 30, 2012, and it had accumulated 1,716 total flight hours at the time of the accident.
The pilot receiving instruction held a private pilot certificate with a rotorcraft-helicopter rating and reported 290 hours of total flight time, with 118 hours in the accident helicopter make and model. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on May 23, 2012.