Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ontario, California 91761
Saturday, December 11, 2004 12:50 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter rolled over during an autorotation following a loss of engine power. During a practical flight test examination for a private pilot certificate, the Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) simulated a loss of engine power by retarding the throttle to idle. The student pilot lowered the collective and was performing an autorotation to the ground. The DPE noticed loss of engine noise then detected that the engine had lost power. The student pilot unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine. During the landing sequence, the tail rotor stinger and blades impacted the ground. As the helicopter was sliding to a stop, it veered to the left and rolled over. Examination of the aircraft systems and the engine failed to disclose any abnormality, and an engine operational run test was conducted. After the engine was started, the cockpit mounted oil pressure gauge displayed an oil pressure indication within the normal operating range, and proper operation of the electrical fuel boost pump and engine driven fuel pump were verified. Once the engine was operating at temperature, the throttle was advanced to about 2,500 rpm, at which time the magnetos were checked utilizing the cockpit mounted ignition switch. Both magnetos operated within manufacturer's specifications. The engine ran smoothly during the operational check and exhibited no unusual indications and no fuel or oil leaks. The Rotorcraft Flight Manual for the Schweizer 300C Helicopter Model 269C provides the following procedure for practice autorotations: "Split the needles by lowering the collective while maintaining throttle setting. The throttle correlation will establish a high idle rpm (approximately 2,500 rpm), which will aid in preventing the engine from loading up or stalling during recovery."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
a loss of engine power due to the Designated Pilot Examiner's failure to follow the flight manual procedures and directives regarding throttle settings to be used for practice autorotations.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/11/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1250 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Ontario |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 91761 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 340000N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1173403W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ONT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 944 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.09 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 19748 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 11 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1310 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2006 1:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP- FSDO- Riverside |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N130JS |
| NTSB Number | LAX05LA050 |
| 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 | 269C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | S1571 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2050 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 1 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 89.7 |
| Airframe Hours | 2695.7 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WESTERN OPERATIONS INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1640 Miro Way, Unit D |
| Aircraft Owner City | Rialto |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92377 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | W6HA |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | L67 |
| Departure City | RIALTO |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1230 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| 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 | Emergency descent/landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 27 2006 4:07PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |