What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Demo pinnicle landing. Student advised low rs. CFI lowered collective. Hit ground hard. Tumbled down hill. (.4)the instructor and the student pilot departed on a training flight with the intention of practicing off airport landings. The instructor maneuvered the helicopter towards a plateau with cliffs on three of its sides, and initiated a demonstration of a pinnacle landing. He then noticed the development of an excessive sink rate and wind change and attempted to correct with collective and throttle. Shortly thereafter, he reached the stop on the throttle and the RPM began decaying. The instructor lowered collective and the rotorcraft impacted the ground hard bouncing back into the air 10-12 feet before striking the ground a second time, during which the tail rotor impacted the ground. Directional control was lost and the rotorcraft rolled over the edge of the plateau and down a steeply sloped embankment. The instructor pilot had logged only 3 hours of flight time, all in the accident aircraft make within the previous 90 days. A weather observation recorded at the caldwell airport 11 NM south of the accident site reported winds from 110 degrees at 9 knots with gusts to 14 knots. The instructor pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction with the rotorcraft during the flight. (-23)flight instructor stated he was going to demonstrate a pinnacle type landing. During the descent the student alerted instructor that the rotor RPM was low. Instructor lowered the collective and increased power. Instructor stated they hit the ground very hard and bounced back into the air. He believes the tail hit the ground at this point and the aircraft atarted to turn. The next ground contact was the left skid heading 180 from initial ground impact. From this point aircraft tumbled approximately 400 feet down hill.
As the FAA filed it
DEMO PINNICLE LANDING. STUDENT ADVISED LOW RS. CFI LOWERED COLLECTIVE. HIT GROUND HARD. TUMBLED DOWN HILL. (.4)THE INSTRUCTOR AND THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED ON A TRAINING FLIGHT WITH THE INTENTION OF PRACTICING OFF AIRPORT LANDINGS. THE INSTRUCTOR MANEUVERED THE HELICOPTER TOWARDS A PLATEAU WITH CLIFFS ON THREE OF ITS SIDES, AND INITIATED A DEMONSTRATION OF A PINNACLE LANDING. HE THEN NOTICED THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EXCESSIVE SINK RATE AND WIND CHANGE AND ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT WITH COLLECTIVE AND THROTTLE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE REACHED THE STOP ON THE THROTTLE AND THE RPM BEGAN DECAYING. THE INSTRUCTOR LOWERED COLLECTIVE AND THE ROTORCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND HARD BOUNCING BACK INTO THE AIR 10-12 FEET BEFORE STRIKING THE GROUND A SECOND TIME, DURING WHICH THE TAIL ROTOR IMPACTED THE GROUND. DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST AND THE ROTORCRAFT ROLLED OVER THE EDGE OF THE PLATEAU AND DOWN A STEEPLY SLOPED EMBANKMENT. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT HAD LOGGED ONLY 3 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME, ALL IN THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT MAKE WITHIN THE PREVIOUS 90 DAYS. A WEATHER OBSERVATION RECORDED AT THE CALDWELL AIRPORT 11 NM SOUTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED WINDS FROM 110 DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 14 KNOTS. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE ROTORCRAFT DURING THE FLIGHT. (-23)FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED HE WAS GOING TO DEMONSTRATE A PINNACLE TYPE LANDING. DURING THE DESCENT THE STUDENT ALERTED INSTRUCTOR THAT THE ROTOR RPM WAS LOW. INSTRUCTOR LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND INCREASED POWER. INSTRUCTOR STATED THEY HIT THE GROUND VERY HARD AND BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR. HE BELIEVES THE TAIL HIT THE GROUND AT THIS POINT AND THE AIRCRAFT ATARTED TO TURN. THE NEXT GROUND CONTACT WAS THE LEFT SKID HEADING 180 FROM INITIAL GROUND IMPACT. FROM THIS POINT AIRCRAFT TUMBLED APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET DOWN HILL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.