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20040212001669A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Hughes 369FF · Mesa, AZ · February 12, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 12, 2004 · 11:55 local
Place
Mesa, AZ
Airport
Falcon Field Airport
Phase of flight
Sfl Autorotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N630N
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX04CA122
Reported as
Hughes 369FF
Pilot’s flight hours
12,636 total70 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days
N630NRegistered now · Hughes 369FS/N 0004F · Built 1984Airframe modelHughes 369FEngine modelRolls-Royce 250-C47 seriesTurbo-shaft

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) Mister turchetta a test pilot for MD helicopters was giving a turkish police officer dual instruction in N630N a MD 600 (MD369FF) prior to their government accepting delivery on six of these aircraft. They had just completed 4 touchdown autorotations and was executing the 5th (the wind was variable at 10KNOTS) when during the cushion portion of the auto a gust of wind turned the aircraft approx. 30 to 40 degrees nose left. Mr. Truchetta was flying and did not have enough anti torque authority (this aircraft has no tail rotor) to straighten the aircraft and landed slightly sideways, the aircraft landed a little harder than usual and skidded appox. 4 feet. After coming to a complete stop the main rotor struck the tailboom separating it from the aircraft. This model aircraft the MD600 has a history of chopping off the tailboom, during certification of the aircraft there were at least 3 tailbooms chopped off the aircraft. This could be caused by the blowback effect which may be prevalent in this model aircraft. Also at lower rpms the notar does not have the same authority as the conventional tail rotor aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) MISTER TURCHETTA A TEST PILOT FOR MD HELICOPTERS WAS GIVING A TURKISH POLICE OFFICER DUAL INSTRUCTION IN N630N A MD 600 (MD369FF) PRIOR TO THEIR GOVERNMENT ACCEPTING DELIVERY ON SIX OF THESE AIRCRAFT. THEY HAD JUST COMPLETED 4 TOUCHDOWN AUTOROTATIONS AND WAS EXECUTING THE 5TH (THE WIND WAS VARIABLE AT 10KNOTS) WHEN DURING THE CUSHION PORTION OF THE AUTO A GUST OF WIND TURNED THE AIRCRAFT APPROX. 30 TO 40 DEGREES NOSE LEFT. MR. TRUCHETTA WAS FLYING AND DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH ANTI TORQUE AUTHORITY (THIS AIRCRAFT HAS NO TAIL ROTOR) TO STRAIGHTEN THE AIRCRAFT AND LANDED SLIGHTLY SIDEWAYS, THE AIRCRAFT LANDED A LITTLE HARDER THAN USUAL AND SKIDDED APPOX. 4 FEET. AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE TAILBOOM SEPARATING IT FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THIS MODEL AIRCRAFT THE MD600 HAS A HISTORY OF CHOPPING OFF THE TAILBOOM, DURING CERTIFICATION OF THE AIRCRAFT THERE WERE AT LEAST 3 TAILBOOMS CHOPPED OFF THE AIRCRAFT. THIS COULD BE CAUSED BY THE BLOWBACK EFFECT WHICH MAY BE PREVALENT IN THIS MODEL AIRCRAFT. ALSO AT LOWER RPMS THE NOTAR DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME AUTHORITY AS THE CONVENTIONAL TAIL ROTOR AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX04CA122Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportMesa, AZthe pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind gusts and subsequent failure to maintain directional control of the helicopter, which resulted in a hard landing. A contributing factor was a wind gust.Feb 12, 2004 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N630N · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19961121039479APwr Off Vert Land/Autorotate · Flagstaff, AZHigh velocity autorotations test. Impacted runway. Bent seperated skids. Began test too low. Low airspeed. Weight.Nov 21, 1996 · Substantial damageIncident 19961104034519IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Flagstaff, AZNarrative: while performing flight tests on a proto-type MD630N at Flagstaff airport, Flagstaff, Arizona, the pilot entered the ninth (9th) auto-rotation of the day and made an auto-rotation running touch-down on a paved surface. As the helicopter's main…Nov 4, 1996 · Minor damage