Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Elmira Corning Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Elmira, New York 14902
Monday, November 15, 1993 11:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT AND CO-PILOT WERE PRACTICING AUTOROTATIONS DURING A TEST FLIGHT. DURING THEIR SEVENTH AUTOROTATION, AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE AUTOROTATION WAS CONTINUED AND THE CREW REPORTED THEY ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE CONTROL TOWER REPORTED THE WINDS FROM A MAGNETIC BEARING OF 240 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 30 KNOTS. IN HIS WRITTEN REPORT CONCERNING THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT SAID THE WINDS WERE FROM A MAGNETIC BEARING OF 230 DEGREES VARIABLE TO 270 DEGREES AT 23 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS. THE MANUFACTURER'S FLIGHT MANUAL STATES: 'CONTROLLABILITY HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE ADEQUATE IN 20 MPH WINDS FROM ANY DIRECTION.' THE REASON FOR THE ENGINE'S LOSS OF POWER WAS NOT DETERMINED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AT A CRITICAL POINT ON A PRACTICE AUTOROTATION, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ATTAIN A FLARE FOR THE LANDING. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WIND AND DOWNDRAFT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/15/1993 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1100 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | ELMIRA |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 14902 |
| Event Date Year | 1993 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | ELMIRA CORNING REGIONAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ELM |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 995 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1058 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ELM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 955 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 30 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 20 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 30 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2056 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 15 1993 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1130 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 25 2006 4:01PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\ZUZL |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N41S |
| NTSB Number | BFO94LA011 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SCHWEIZER |
| Aircraft Model | 269C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 269C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | S1660 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2050 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SCHWEIZER AIRCRAFT CORPORATION |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | BOX 147 |
| Aircraft Owner City | ELMIRA |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 14902 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | ELM |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 28 |
| Runway Length | 5202 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |