Pilot Proficiency

On the Record: Schweizer 269C

Thursday, November 17, 2016 at 03:41 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

A Schweizer 269C helicopter crashed during a night orientation flight, resulting in two fatalities, after witnesses reported unusual engine sounds and a loss of power.
The investigation determined the probable cause to be a sudden and complete loss of translational/rotational power between the engine and transmission.
This power loss was attributed to severe wear of the forward spline portion of the lower coupling drive shaft.
The definitive reason for the severe spline wear could not be determined due to extensive fire damage and missing components from the crash site.

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Schweizer 269C

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