What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The instructor Mr. Mark bainbridge was giving flight instruction to Mr. Ronald rife practicing touchdown autorotations at the Council Bluffs, IA airport, in preparation for the helicopter flight instructor practical test. This flight training period consisted of numerous power off autorotations, before the last one that resulted in the accident. The statements from both Mr. Bainbridge and Mr. Rife say that the initial collective pull and subsequent cushion with all of the collective remaining had no effect on the helicopter. The helicopter landed hard causing the landing gear cross tubes and struts to collapse. The main rotor blades flexed down FAR enough to contact the tail rotor and sever the tail boom approximately 3 feet forward the tail rotor gear box. A visual inspection of the damage to the collective and cyclic controls at the mast assembly precludes a positive determination, if a failure of the collective flight controls occurred before the accident. The attaching point for the collective mixer bellcrank was sent to the NTSB for analysis, as it appeared to have a crack prior to the accident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE INSTRUCTOR MR. MARK BAINBRIDGE WAS GIVING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TO MR. RONALD RIFE PRACTICING TOUCHDOWN AUTOROTATIONS AT THE COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA AIRPORT, IN PREPARATION FOR THE HELICOPTER FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR PRACTICAL TEST. THIS FLIGHT TRAINING PERIOD CONSISTED OF NUMEROUS POWER OFF AUTOROTATIONS, BEFORE THE LAST ONE THAT RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE STATEMENTS FROM BOTH MR. BAINBRIDGE AND MR. RIFE SAY THAT THE INITIAL COLLECTIVE PULL AND SUBSEQUENT CUSHION WITH ALL OF THE COLLECTIVE REMAINING HAD NO EFFECT ON THE HELICOPTER. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD CAUSING THE LANDING GEAR CROSS TUBES AND STRUTS TO COLLAPSE. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES FLEXED DOWN FAR ENOUGH TO CONTACT THE TAIL ROTOR AND SEVER THE TAIL BOOM APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET FORWARD THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX. A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE DAMAGE TO THE COLLECTIVE AND CYCLIC CONTROLS AT THE MAST ASSEMBLY PRECLUDES A POSITIVE DETERMINATION, IF A FAILURE OF THE COLLECTIVE FLIGHT CONTROLS OCCURRED BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE ATTACHING POINT FOR THE COLLECTIVE MIXER BELLCRANK WAS SENT TO THE NTSB FOR ANALYSIS, AS IT APPEARED TO HAVE A CRACK PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
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 N1040S · 6
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.