Schweizer 269C N6143K accident near Baldwin, Florida

Probable cause

A loss of tail rotor effectiveness during a hover.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot of the helicopter, during a mosquito breeding inspection flight he entered a hover about 2 feet above a field of tall vegetation and "within 10-15 seconds the nose of the aircraft began to yaw to the right." The pilot corrected with full left anti-torque pedal and attempted to "enter into translational lift" as the helicopter continued to rotate. The right skid contacted the ground and the helicopter rolled onto its side, sustaining substantial damage to the main rotor blades, fuselage, and skids. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions of the helicopter prior to the accident. He recommended that, "inspection during a cooler part of the day or with presence of wind, or inspecting while moving forward could have prevented the accident." About the time of the accident an airport weather station about 6 miles southeast of the accident site reported variable winds at 5 knots and a temperature of 31 degrees Celsius.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA10CA399 for the full record.