19961104034519I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Hughes 369FF · Flagstaff, AZ · November 4, 1996

Date: November 4, 1996 · 08:23 local
Place: Flagstaff, AZ
Airport: Private
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N630N
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX97LA034
Reported as: Hughes 369FF
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0

N630NRegistered now · Hughes 369FS/N 0004F · Built 1984 Airframe modelHughes 369F Engine modelRolls-Royce 250-C47 seriesTurbo-shaft

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: while performing flight tests on a proto-type MD630N at Flagstaff airport, Flagstaff, Arizona, the pilot entered the ninth (9th) auto-rotation of the day and made an auto-rotation running touch-down on a paved surface. As the helicopter's main rotor RPM decayed with the vehicle still sliding. (200 ft. approx.) and having forward ground speed, the main rotor blades diverted aft and contacted the NOTAM tail cone severing it from the fuselage approx. sixty percent aft of fuselage attaching points. The helicopter continued sliding forward slowing down dragging the severed tail section and making a 180 degree turn coming to rest on the runway. The sole occupant, the test pilot, was not injured and the helicopter sustained minor damage. This report is closed. This report does not involve an NMAC report. FAA form 8020-11 not received from at. This does not involve a pilot deviation report by at.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: WHILE PERFORMING FLIGHT TESTS ON A PROTO-TYPE MD630N AT FLAGSTAFF AIRPORT, FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA, THE PILOT ENTERED THE NINTH (9TH) AUTO-ROTATION OF THE DAY AND MADE AN AUTO-ROTATION RUNNING TOUCH-DOWN ON A PAVED SURFACE. AS THE HELICOPTER'S MAIN ROTOR RPM DECAYED WITH THE VEHICLE STILL SLIDING. (200 FT. APPROX.) AND HAVING FORWARD GROUND SPEED, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES DIVERTED AFT AND CONTACTED THE NOTAM TAIL CONE SEVERING IT FROM THE FUSELAGE APPROX. SIXTY PERCENT AFT OF FUSELAGE ATTACHING POINTS. THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED SLIDING FORWARD SLOWING DOWN DRAGGING THE SEVERED TAIL SECTION AND MAKING A 180 DEGREE TURN COMING TO REST ON THE RUNWAY. THE SOLE OCCUPANT, THE TEST PILOT, WAS NOT INJURED AND THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THIS REPORT IS CLOSED. THIS REPORT DOES NOT INVOLVE AN NMAC REPORT. FAA FORM 8020-11 NOT RECEIVED FROM AT. THIS DOES NOT INVOLVE A PILOT DEVIATION REPORT BY AT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX97LA034Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFlagstaff, AZAn uncommanded main rotor blade to tail boom contact due to a 'blowback' phenomena after a successful preplanned autorotation by the pilot to a high density altitude airport with a test aircraft designed at a maximum gross weight.Nov 4, 1996 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N630N · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20040212001669ASfl Autorotation · Mesa, AZ(-23) Mister turchetta a test pilot for MD helicopters was giving a turkish police officer dual instruction in N630N a MD 600 (MD369FF) prior to their government accepting delivery on six of these aircraft. They had just completed 4 touchdown autorotations…Feb 12, 2004 · Substantial damage Accident 19961121039479APwr Off Vert Land/Autorotate · Flagstaff, AZHigh velocity autorotations test. Impacted runway. Bent seperated skids. Began test too low. Low airspeed. Weight.Nov 21, 1996 · Substantial damage