20030918022609I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Hughes 369E · Fountain Hills, AZ · September 18, 2003

Date: September 18, 2003 · 08:30 local
Place: Fountain Hills, AZ
Phase of flight: Sfl Autorotation
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N7032V
Reported as: Hughes 369E
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 12,448 total8,608 in this make and model102 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) While conducting autorotation descent power recovery, while engine was being rolled on during power recovery phase of maneuver, engine suffered compressor stall, allowing aircraft to descend and pilot failed to initiate flare sooner. Tail stinger contacted the ground before pilot leveled the ship into correct hover attitude. Both of the tail rotor blades suffered erosion, one with leading edge damage. Aircraft secured and maintenance called.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE CONDUCTING AUTOROTATION DESCENT POWER RECOVERY, WHILE ENGINE WAS BEING ROLLED ON DURING POWER RECOVERY PHASE OF MANEUVER, ENGINE SUFFERED COMPRESSOR STALL, ALLOWING AIRCRAFT TO DESCEND AND PILOT FAILED TO INITIATE FLARE SOONER. TAIL STINGER CONTACTED THE GROUND BEFORE PILOT LEVELED THE SHIP INTO CORRECT HOVER ATTITUDE. BOTH OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES SUFFERED EROSION, ONE WITH LEADING EDGE DAMAGE. AIRCRAFT SECURED AND MAINTENANCE CALLED.