Accident Details
On March 19, 2013, at about 1830 eastern daylight time, a Schweizer 269C-1 helicopter, registration N2099S, operated by Bristow Academy, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The incident occurred near Titusville, Florida. The flight instructor and private pilot, who were the only occupants, were not injured.
The helicopter departed from Space Coast Regional Airport (TIX) in Titusville at about 1828. The flight was an instructional flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot was receiving instruction toward an instrument rating and was performing a "stage check" under the supervision of the flight instructor. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Shortly after departing runway 09, the pilot notified air traffic control of a strong vibration and requested to return to the airport. About half a mile east of the airport, the flight instructor reported hearing a loud "bang" and seeing smoke. The student pilot lowered the collective, and the flight instructor took control, entering an autorotation. The helicopter touched down hard on a road, resulting in substantial damage to the tailboom and diagonal strut.
Aircraft Information
The Schweizer 269C-1 is a single-engine, single-rotor helicopter powered by a Lycoming HIO-360-G1A, 180-horsepower engine. According to maintenance records, the helicopter's most recent 100-hour inspection was completed on March 13, 2013, at which time it had accumulated 3,284 total hours in service. The engine had accumulated approximately 35 hours since the last inspection and 1,099 hours of operation since overhaul.
Pilot Information
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for rotorcraft-helicopter and instrument helicopter. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on May 4, 2012. At the time of the accident, the pilot reported a total of 626 hours of flight experience, with 365 hours in the same make and model as the accident helicopter.
Post-Accident Examination
Postaccident examination of the engine by FAA inspectors revealed a breach of the engine case approximately 3 inches in diameter and a failure of the number two cylinder connecting rod. Examination of the number two connecting rod assembly showed that one of its bolts displayed signatures consistent with fatigue failure. The engine was sent to a certified engine overhaul facility for disassembly and examination.
The overhaul facility found that the upper portion of the crankcase was damaged by the separated connecting rod. The main bearing journals were intact, but the center main bearing journal was fretted from crankcase movement. The main bearing bore showed signs of bearing movement, scoring, and tang damage. The number two connecting rod journal was heavily damaged; the center main journal had minor scoring, while all other journals showed no signs of scoring or lack of lubrication. The number two connecting rod was broken into three pieces: the upper portion intact, the journal end bent outward on one side, and the cap broken into two pieces. Remains of the connecting rod bearing were found throughout the engine. The connecting rod bolt on the non-numbered side of the rod was broken in half, with the bolt still in the cap and the other half in the sump with the rod nut attached. The bolt on the numbered side was intact, and the rod nut was located in the oil sump.
Weather Conditions
The recorded weather observation at Space Coast Regional Airport at 1830 included wind from 070 degrees at 6 knots, visibility 7 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, temperature 24°C, dew point 17°C, and a barometric altimeter setting of 29.93 inches of mercury.