What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) During an FAR 141 training flight, the instructor pilot and the student pilot performed a simulated engine out autorotation training maneuver. The throttle of the helicopter was rolled to the closed position to simulate the engine failure. Shortly after closing the throttle, the crew noticed that the engine had quit for real. The maneuver now became an engine out forced landing in the desert south of Boise, Idaho airport. When the helicopter weas autorotated to a landing, it touched down and skidded to a stop in such a way that the motion of the helicopter caused the rotor blades to strike the aft structure of the tail assembly, severing the tail boom near the point where the tail rotor was mounted. The density altitude of the helicopter at the time the throttle was chopped for the engine out simulation was near 6500 feet.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DURING AN FAR 141 TRAINING FLIGHT, THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND THE STUDENT PILOT PERFORMED A SIMULATED ENGINE OUT AUTOROTATION TRAINING MANEUVER. THE THROTTLE OF THE HELICOPTER WAS ROLLED TO THE CLOSED POSITION TO SIMULATE THE ENGINE FAILURE. SHORTLY AFTER CLOSING THE THROTTLE, THE CREW NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE HAD QUIT FOR REAL. THE MANEUVER NOW BECAME AN ENGINE OUT FORCED LANDING IN THE DESERT SOUTH OF BOISE, IDAHO AIRPORT. WHEN THE HELICOPTER WEAS AUTOROTATED TO A LANDING, IT TOUCHED DOWN AND SKIDDED TO A STOP IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE MOTION OF THE HELICOPTER CAUSED THE ROTOR BLADES TO STRIKE THE AFT STRUCTURE OF THE TAIL ASSEMBLY, SEVERING THE TAIL BOOM NEAR THE POINT WHERE THE TAIL ROTOR WAS MOUNTED. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE OF THE HELICOPTER AT THE TIME THE THROTTLE WAS CHOPPED FOR THE ENGINE OUT SIMULATION WAS NEAR 6500 FEET.
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 N2096W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.