Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Wales Air Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Crawford, Texas 76638
Sunday, June 9, 2002 12:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot made a forced landing following a loss of engine power after takeoff. The 4,950-hour pilot reported that the aircraft was in a climb at 75 feet AGL, an airspeed of 40-50 knots, and approximately 200 feet south of the takeoff point, when the engine lost power. The pilot executed an autorotation straight ahead and landed. Examination of the engine revealed no damage in the gearbox, but significant thermal distress to several turbine components. The compressor rotated freely and the N1 and N2 sides of the accessory gearbox rotated freely. The compressor and accessory gearbox were not opened. The first stage nozzle shield appeared normal. The first stage nozzle exhibited heat distress on vanes. The first stage turbine wheel exhibited heat distress to all blades; approximately 40-50 percent of the airfoil burned away. The second stage turbine wheel exhibited heat distress to approximately 1/3 of the blades; approximately 30 percent of the airfoil burned away. The third and fourth stage turbine wheels and nozzles appeared normal. The turbine to compressor coupling exhibited rotational marks on the compressor end. The fuel control unit and power turbine governor were tested, and no anomalies were noted.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The loss of engine power as a result of the pilot's exceedence of the engine's temperature limits, resulting in the melting of blades on the first and second stage turbine wheels. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/9/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1200 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Crawford |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 76638 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 313523N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0972209W |
| Event Location Airport | Wales Air Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TE92 |
| 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 | 640 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1151 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 262 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ACT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 516 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4400 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 20 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2497 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15476 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 10 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 730 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 3 2004 1:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Fort Worth, Texas |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N333UC |
| NTSB Number | FTW02LA179 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Schweizer |
| Aircraft Model | 269D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0006 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 27 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 20 |
| Airframe Hours | 709.1 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Scweizer Aircraft Corporation |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1250 Schweizer Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Big Flats |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 14814 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Richard W. Wales |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1242 Compton Road |
| Operator City | Crawford |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 76638 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | TE92 |
| Departure City | Crawford |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1200 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | Yes |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 25 2004 5:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | CASH |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 17 |
| Runway Length | 1100 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |