# Accident 19960416007549A: Bell 206B, San Diego, CA, April 16, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 16, 1996, 16:00 local time
- Place: San Diego, CA
- Airport: Montgomery Field Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Autorot Descent (Rotorcraft)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: IVSA
- Location: 32.8009° N, 117.1298° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8009&lon=-117.1298&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2750F (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206B
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20B
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,300 total, 1,250 in this make and model, 120 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX96LA172](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX96LA172) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960416007549A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4)WHILE PRACTICING TOUCHDOWN AUTOROTATIONS, THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD ON UNEVEN TERRAIN SHORT OF THE INTENDED TOUCHDOWN POINT. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT-RATED STUDENT WAS DEMONSTRATING A AUTOROTATION WITH A TURN TO THE RUNWAY.  AS HE COMPLETED THE TURN AND WAS ALIGNING WITH THE RUNWAY, THE HELICOPTER ROTOR RPM DROPPED TO 70 PERCENT.  HALFWAY INTO THE MANEUVER THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REALIZED THE HELICOPTER WAS TOO LOW AND SLOW TO ACCOMPLISH A POWER RECOVERY AND TOOK CONTROL. THE HELICOPTER LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY IN ROUGH TERRAIN.  A POSTFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED WRINKLES IN THE TAIL BOOM.  THE PILOT UNDER INSTRUCTION HELD A ROTORCRAFT HELICOPTER RATING.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX96LA172](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX96LA172), Apr 16, 1996: Bell 206B III (N2750F), San Diego, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: the student's failure to maintain adequate main rotor rpm and airspeed during a practice autorotation, and the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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