Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On December 15, 1999, at 1650 mountain standard time, 3 miles east of Meadow Lake Airport, Peyton, Colorado, a Hughes 369D helicopter, N5190C, entered uncontrolled flight while hovering out of ground effect and impacted the ground. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured and the helicopter sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this local area orientation flight operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Meadow Lake Airport at 1640.

According to the pilot, he was on an orientation flight and had a non-helicopter rated pilot in the other pilot seat. The pilot said he was approaching a hover at about 20 feet above the surface when the helicopter began turning to the right. The application of full left pedal did not stop the turn and the pilot shut down the engine and landed the helicopter while it was in a right turn. Following impact, in what the pilot described as a flat attitude with the fuselage spinning to the right, the helicopter came to rest on its right side. The pilot related to local authorities that he thought he had "lost tail rotor drive."

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held a private pilot certificate in airplane single engine land and a commercial certificate in rotorcraft - helicopter. He held a helicopter instrument certificate. His license was issued on November 30, 1981.

According to information provided in his report of the accident, he had 9601 hours of flight time with 7,302 hours in helicopters, and 1,700 hours of instrument time, all of which was in helicopters. He had 6 hours in the accident make and model helicopter and 1 hour of pilot in command time in the accident make and model. He had flown 4 hours in the last 30 days and 2 hours in the 24 hours preceding the accident flight. He had taken a biennial flight review in a Piper PA-28 approximately 3 weeks prior to the accident.

The investigation revealed the pilot was returning to active piloting after being absent from the profession for several years. His resume provided information that he retired from the United States Army in 1994. During his flying career in the Army, he flew Bell 204 and Bell 206 helicopters. No evidence was found of flight experience between his retirement from the Army and November of 1999.

The passenger, who was occupying the right front seat, held a private pilot certificate with a rating in single engine land airplanes. He had a total of 120 hours of flight experience, 70 of which was as pilot in command. He did not have any helicopter training or experience.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The accident helicopter was built in 1982, and was issued a standard airworthiness certificate on December 17, 1982. The present registration number was issued in 1994. History of the helicopter between the date of manufacture and the present registration number is unknown. The helicopter had accumulated 5,978 hours