# Accident 19980116001469A: Doug 600N, Mesa, AZ, January 16, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 16, 1998, 17:30 local time
- Place: Mesa, AZ
- Airport: Falcon Field Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Autorot Descent (Rotorcraft)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.5106° N, 111.5806° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.5106&lon=-111.5806&mi=10
- Aircraft: N176SP (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: DOUG 600N
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C*
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 12,726 total, 85 in this make and model, 95 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA076](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA076) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980116001469A

## Narrative

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

LANDED HARD MAIN ROTOR STRUCK TAILBOOM.  (.4)THE CFI WAS HAVING THE SECOND PILOT EXECUTE STRAIGHT IN AUROROTATIONS FOR FAMILIARIZATION TRAINING.  THE SECOND PILOT INITIATED THE AUROROTATION WITH THE ROTOR IN THE LOW RANGE AND THE CFI INSTRUCTED THE SECOND PILOT TO REDUCE COLLECTIVE, WHICH INCREASED THEIR RATE OT DESCENT.  THE CFI SAID THAT ABOUT 18 FEET, THE SECOND PILOT APPLIED 60 PERCENT COLLECTIVE, LEVELED SOMEWHAT, AND THE NOSE YAWED TO THE LEFT.  THE CFI APPLIED FULL RIGHT PEDAL IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE YAW, BUT THE NOSE REMAINED YAWED TO THE LEFT APPROXIMATELY 15 DEGREES.  THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND WITH THE LEFT HEEL FIRST FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE PITCHING FORWARD.  THE CFI STATED HE APPLIED SLIGHT AFT CYCLIC AND FELT THE MAIN ROTOR CONTACT THE TAIL BOOM.

## 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 LAX98LA076](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA076), Jan 17, 1998: McDonnell Douglas 600N (N176SP), Mesa, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The second pilot misjudging his flare and the delayed remedial actions by the pilot-in-command.

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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