# Accident 19990630007959A: Doug MD500E, Oklahoma City, OK, June 30, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 30, 1999, 23:30 local time
- Place: Oklahoma City, OK
- Airport: Downtown Airpark Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Autorot Descent (Rotorcraft)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.4306° N, 97.5199° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.4306&lon=-97.5199&mi=10
- Aircraft: N686F (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: DOUG MD500E
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20B
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 400 total, 130 in this make and model, 105 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW99TA183](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99TA183) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990630007959A

## Narrative

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

(TTY) OKLAHOMA CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT 1995 MCDONNELL DOUGLAS ME-500E HELICOPTER CRASHED IN THE GRASS ADJACENT TO RWY 16, THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND, AND THE HELICOPTER CRASHED AND ROLLED OVER. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN.  (.19)  ON JUNE 30, 1999, AT 2330 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A MCDONNELL DOUGLAS 500-E HELICOPTER, N686F, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE OKLAHOMA CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A NIGHT LANDING AT THE DOWNTOWN AIRPARK AIRPORT, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK.  THE PRIVATE PILOT AND CREWMEMBER WERE NOT INJURED, AND THE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 PUBLIC USE LOCAL FLIGHT.  THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE DOWNTOWN AIRPARK, ABOUT 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.  ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY INFORMATION, DURING A PRACTICE AUTOROTATION, THE PILOT DID NOT PERFORM A POWER RECOVERY, AND THE HELICOPTER'S TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND.  AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LEVEL THE HELICOPTER, IT TOUCHED DOWN "HARD."  THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE.  THE OPERATOR REPORTED THAT AN EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED THE TAIL BOOM P ARTIALLY SEPARATED ABOUT THREE FEET FROM ITS FUSELAGE ATTACHING POINT. THE MAIN DRIVE SHAFT WAS DAMAGED, THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT WAS SEPARATED AT ITS AFT FLEX COUPLING, AND THE RIGHT SKID WAS SEPARATED.                   (.4)DURING A NIGHT PRACTICE AUTOROTATION, AFTER REAPPLYING POWER, THE PILOT FLARED THE HELICOPTER TOO LOW, AND THE TAILBOOM CONTACTED THE GROUND.  TAIL ROTOR CONTROL WAS LOST, AND THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE.                                                                          (-23)DURING NIGHT AUTOROTATION SIMULATION, THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND.  THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LEVEL OUT, BUT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND SEPARATING THE RH SKID.  THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE.  THIS IS A PUBLIC USE AIRCRAFT.  NO FURTHER ACTION REQUIRED.

## 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 FTW99TA183](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99TA183), Jul 1, 1999: McDonnell Douglas 500-E (N686F), Oklahoma City, OK, substantial damage. Probable cause: During a practice autorotation, the pilot flared the helicopter too low, which resulted in the tailboom contacting the ground. A factor was the dark night light conditions.

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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