What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The pilot was performing a practice autorotation. He stated that he began the practice autorotation by '...lowering the collective all the way and reducing the throttle setting to a point where the engine RPM and rotor RPM needles split. I verified that the needles split, but something didn't feel normal.' The pilot elected to abandon the maneuver and added power to recover. The pilot stated: 'as best I can remember, the engine and rotor RPM needles had syncronized and were at approximately the right clock position on the tach face.' The pilot said that at this time he was '...becoming aware of an extremely high descent rate.' The pilot flight manual for the aircraft decribes the procedure for practice autorotation as follows: 'split the needles by lowering the collective while maintaining throttle setting. The throttle correlation will establish a high idle RPM (approximately 2000 RPM) which will aid in preventing the engine from loading up or stalling during recovery. No apparent preexisting anomalies were detected with respect to the aircraft or systems. The pilot listed no mechanical malfunction in his written report. (-23)on December 13, 1999, at approximately 2115, a Hughes-269C, N58408, registered to bbc inc, was practicing an autorotation four miles south of Salina municipal airport. Visual meteorological condition prevailed at the time. The aircraft impacted in a farmer's wheat field, causing extensive dmaage to the aircraft and serious injury to the pilot and one passenger. Investigation at the crash sight revealed that the aircraft heading was to the north, north west. The PIC holds an ATP certificate with airplane/multiengine, rotorcraft-helicopter/commercial pilot, CFI, CFII ratings. The flight was conducted under CFR-14 part 91 operation.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING A PRACTICE AUTOROTATION. HE STATED THAT HE BEGAN THE PRACTICE AUTOROTATION BY '...LOWERING THE COLLECTIVE ALL THE WAY AND REDUCING THE THROTTLE SETTING TO A POINT WHERE THE ENGINE RPM AND ROTOR RPM NEEDLES SPLIT. I VERIFIED THAT THE NEEDLES SPLIT, BUT SOMETHING DIDN'T FEEL NORMAL.' THE PILOT ELECTED TO ABANDON THE MANEUVER AND ADDED POWER TO RECOVER. THE PILOT STATED: 'AS BEST I CAN REMEMBER, THE ENGINE AND ROTOR RPM NEEDLES HAD SYNCRONIZED AND WERE AT APPROXIMATELY THE RIGHT CLOCK POSITION ON THE TACH FACE.' THE PILOT SAID THAT AT THIS TIME HE WAS '...BECOMING AWARE OF AN EXTREMELY HIGH DESCENT RATE.' THE PILOT FLIGHT MANUAL FOR THE AIRCRAFT DECRIBES THE PROCEDURE FOR PRACTICE AUTOROTATION AS FOLLOWS: 'SPLIT THE NEEDLES BY LOWERING THE COLLECTIVE WHILE MAINTAINING THROTTLE SETTING. THE THROTTLE CORRELATION WILL ESTABLISH A HIGH IDLE RPM (APPROXIMATELY 2000 RPM) WHICH WILL AID IN PREVENTING THE ENGINE FROM LOADING UP OR STALLING DURING RECOVERY. NO APPARENT PREEXISTING ANOMALIES WERE DETECTED WITH RESPECT TO THE AIRCRAFT OR SYSTEMS. THE PILOT LISTED NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION IN HIS WRITTEN REPORT. (-23)ON DECEMBER 13, 1999, AT APPROXIMATELY 2115, A HUGHES-269C, N58408, REGISTERED TO BBC INC, WAS PRACTICING AN AUTOROTATION FOUR MILES SOUTH OF SALINA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITION PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED IN A FARMER'S WHEAT FIELD, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DMAAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND SERIOUS INJURY TO THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER. INVESTIGATION AT THE CRASH SIGHT REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HEADING WAS TO THE NORTH, NORTH WEST. THE PIC HOLDS AN ATP CERTIFICATE WITH AIRPLANE/MULTIENGINE, ROTORCRAFT-HELICOPTER/COMMERCIAL PILOT, CFI, CFII RATINGS. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER CFR-14 PART 91 OPERATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.