What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Main rotor blade failed on hard landing from practice autorotaiton. Rotors hit tailboom. (.4)the pilot stated that he held his flare too long during a practice autorotation and allowed the tail to contact the ground. (-23)ANC98LA037 (.19) on April 12, 1998, at 1430 Alaska daylight time, an Enstrom F-28F helicopter, N199LB, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at the Haines Airport, Haines, Alaska. The commercial certificated helicopter pilot sustained minor injuries. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 91, and departed Haines at 1425 as a local training flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a flight plan was filed with the pilot's company. During an interview with the nbsb investigator on April 13, 1998, the pilot stated he was practicing autorotations in preparation for an upcoming flight instructor flight test. He indicated the 15 to 20 knot winds were aligned with the runway. During the autorotative flare, the helicopter tail skid contacted the runway, and the helicopter la nded hard. The tail rotor gear box subsequently separated, and two main rotor blades contacted the tail boom.
As the FAA filed it
MAIN ROTOR BLADE FAILED ON HARD LANDING FROM PRACTICE AUTOROTAITON. ROTORS HIT TAILBOOM. (.4)THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HELD HIS FLARE TOO LONG DURING A PRACTICE AUTOROTATION AND ALLOWED THE TAIL TO CONTACT THE GROUND. (-23)ANC98LA037 (.19) ON APRIL 12, 1998, AT 1430 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, AN ENSTROM F-28F HELICOPTER, N199LB, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A HARD LANDING AT THE HAINES AIRPORT, HAINES, ALASKA. THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED HELICOPTER PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND DEPARTED HAINES AT 1425 AS A LOCAL TRAINING FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED WITH THE PILOT'S COMPANY. DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE NBSB INVESTIGATOR ON APRIL 13, 1998, THE PILOT STATED HE WAS PRACTICING AUTOROTATIONS IN PREPARATION FOR AN UPCOMING FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FLIGHT TEST. HE INDICATED THE 15 TO 20 KNOT WINDS WERE ALIGNED WITH THE RUNWAY. DURING THE AUTOROTATIVE FLARE, THE HELICOPTER TAIL SKID CONTACTED THE RUNWAY, AND THE HELICOPTER LA NDED HARD. THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX SUBSEQUENTLY SEPARATED, AND TWO MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE TAIL BOOM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N199LB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.