What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Instructor pilot was demonstrating a flight maneuver/autorotation and lost control of aircraft. See the attached statement provided by the pilot privacy data omitted summarizing the event. Pilot statement: the following is an account of the flight in N463SH on November 20th, 2007. The student was privacy data omitted and the instructor was privacy data omitted. At approximately 1410 privacy data omitted departed gillespie field (ksee) for Ramona Airport (krnm) to perform autorotations in preparation for privacy data omitted CFI eoc check with privacy data omitted. We chose to do autorotations to taxiway alpha because it had been used on previous check rides and privacy data omitted had never performed autorotations to taxiway alpha. We requested the pattern and made our approach from the south. We made a normal landing and performed a running takeoff. We entered right traffic and made the first autorotation at a forty-five degree angle between the tower and the hangar complex to the east. We discussed the procedure and I instructed privacy data omitted to aim for the A-4 intersection. I told privacy data omitted where to enter the autorotation and we discussed the maneuver while performing it. The entry and glide portions were good but privacy data omitted control inputs during the flare and recovery were not as smooth as I would have preferred. We rolled the throttle on and proceeded on the upwind for the next pattern. On the second autorotation privacy data omitted bled off a little airspeed prior to the 100 foot check so we recovered early and went around. On the third one I told him that I would demonstrate what I was looking for in the flare, but he would perform the entry and the first half of the glide. I took the controls at approximately 200 feet and instructed privacy data omitted to remain light on the controls to feel the inputs as we flared and recovered. We completed that auto and started our takeoff roll for another pattern. I told privacy data omitted to extend the upwind to set us up for a 180 degree auto to taxiway alpha in case the examiner wanted him to demonstrate the maneuver. We entered the autorotation facing east at 600 feet AGL and just north of the control tower by counting down from three. We immediately began a right turn to realign ourselves with the taxiway. As we were passing through 500 feet the descent rate was starting to increase beyond 700 fpm and the airspeed was increasing beyond 70 KIAS. The nose was low to accommodate the tight turn necessary for the realignment with the taxiway. The tight turn increased our descent rate and I began to apply aft cyclic to slow the descent as we were passing through 350 feet approximately. I simultaneously began to add up collective to keep the rotor RPM from spiking. Passing through 300 feet we are on runway heading at approximately 75 KIAS and a descent rate of 1700 to 1800 fpm approximately. I continued to raise the nose to reduce descent rate and very slightly lowered collective to build the rotor RPM. At 200 feet I noticed the RPM continuing to decline pass 95 percent and the low rotor RPM warning system sounds. I applied more aft cyclic to build RPM and further reduce our descent rate. I keep the collective still because I want to keep reducing our descent rate. The RPM began to rise past 93 up to 95 percent as we pass through 100 feet AGL and the airspeed is coming through 60 KIAS and slowly decreasing. At about 25 feet the RPM is between 90-93 percent and the airspeed is between 55-60 KIAS. I realize at about twenty feet that we are going to have to run the aircraft onto the taxiway. I applied full collective at approximately ten feet AGL and leveled the ship to try and run the aircraft on. We contacted the ground at a slight nose low attitude and I felt the helicopter bounce once and yaw to the right. There was also a slight left roll. It is difficult for me to account for the rest of the impact scenario. We came to rest at the right edge of the taxiway facing southeast and on our left side.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) INSTRUCTOR PILOT WAS DEMONSTRATING A FLIGHT MANEUVER/AUTOROTATION AND LOST CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT. SEE THE ATTACHED STATEMENT PROVIDED BY THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SUMMARIZING THE EVENT. PILOT STATEMENT: THE FOLLOWING IS AN ACCOUNT OF THE FLIGHT IN N463SH ON NOVEMBER 20TH, 2007. THE STUDENT WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND THE INSTRUCTOR WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AT APPROXIMATELY 1410 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED GILLESPIE FIELD (KSEE) FOR RAMONA AIRPORT (KRNM) TO PERFORM AUTOROTATIONS IN PREPARATION FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CFI EOC CHECK WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. WE CHOSE TO DO AUTOROTATIONS TO TAXIWAY ALPHA BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN USED ON PREVIOUS CHECK RIDES AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD NEVER PERFORMED AUTOROTATIONS TO TAXIWAY ALPHA. WE REQUESTED THE PATTERN AND MADE OUR APPROACH FROM THE SOUTH. WE MADE A NORMAL LANDING AND PERFORMED A RUNNING TAKEOFF. WE ENTERED RIGHT TRAFFIC AND MADE THE FIRST AUTOROTATION AT A FORTY-FIVE DEGREE ANGLE BETWEEN THE TOWER AND THE HANGAR COMPLEX TO THE EAST. WE DISCUSSED THE PROCEDURE AND I INSTRUCTED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO AIM FOR THE A-4 INTERSECTION. I TOLD ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHERE TO ENTER THE AUTOROTATION AND WE DISCUSSED THE MANEUVER WHILE PERFORMING IT. THE ENTRY AND GLIDE PORTIONS WERE GOOD BUT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTROL INPUTS DURING THE FLARE AND RECOVERY WERE NOT AS SMOOTH AS I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED. WE ROLLED THE THROTTLE ON AND PROCEEDED ON THE UPWIND FOR THE NEXT PATTERN. ON THE SECOND AUTOROTATION ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BLED OFF A LITTLE AIRSPEED PRIOR TO THE 100 FOOT CHECK SO WE RECOVERED EARLY AND WENT AROUND. ON THE THIRD ONE I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD DEMONSTRATE WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR IN THE FLARE, BUT HE WOULD PERFORM THE ENTRY AND THE FIRST HALF OF THE GLIDE. I TOOK THE CONTROLS AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AND INSTRUCTED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO REMAIN LIGHT ON THE CONTROLS TO FEEL THE INPUTS AS WE FLARED AND RECOVERED. WE COMPLETED THAT AUTO AND STARTED OUR TAKEOFF ROLL FOR ANOTHER PATTERN. I TOLD ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO EXTEND THE UPWIND TO SET US UP FOR A 180 DEGREE AUTO TO TAXIWAY ALPHA IN CASE THE EXAMINER WANTED HIM TO DEMONSTRATE THE MANEUVER. WE ENTERED THE AUTOROTATION FACING EAST AT 600 FEET AGL AND JUST NORTH OF THE CONTROL TOWER BY COUNTING DOWN FROM THREE. WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A RIGHT TURN TO REALIGN OURSELVES WITH THE TAXIWAY. AS WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 500 FEET THE DESCENT RATE WAS STARTING TO INCREASE BEYOND 700 FPM AND THE AIRSPEED WAS INCREASING BEYOND 70 KIAS. THE NOSE WAS LOW TO ACCOMMODATE THE TIGHT TURN NECESSARY FOR THE REALIGNMENT WITH THE TAXIWAY. THE TIGHT TURN INCREASED OUR DESCENT RATE AND I BEGAN TO APPLY AFT CYCLIC TO SLOW THE DESCENT AS WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 350 FEET APPROXIMATELY. I SIMULTANEOUSLY BEGAN TO ADD UP COLLECTIVE TO KEEP THE ROTOR RPM FROM SPIKING. PASSING THROUGH 300 FEET WE ARE ON RUNWAY HEADING AT APPROXIMATELY 75 KIAS AND A DESCENT RATE OF 1700 TO 1800 FPM APPROXIMATELY. I CONTINUED TO RAISE THE NOSE TO REDUCE DESCENT RATE AND VERY SLIGHTLY LOWERED COLLECTIVE TO BUILD THE ROTOR RPM. AT 200 FEET I NOTICED THE RPM CONTINUING TO DECLINE PASS 95 PERCENT AND THE LOW ROTOR RPM WARNING SYSTEM SOUNDS. I APPLIED MORE AFT CYCLIC TO BUILD RPM AND FURTHER REDUCE OUR DESCENT RATE. I KEEP THE COLLECTIVE STILL BECAUSE I WANT TO KEEP REDUCING OUR DESCENT RATE. THE RPM BEGAN TO RISE PAST 93 UP TO 95 PERCENT AS WE PASS THROUGH 100 FEET AGL AND THE AIRSPEED IS COMING THROUGH 60 KIAS AND SLOWLY DECREASING. AT ABOUT 25 FEET THE RPM IS BETWEEN 90-93 PERCENT AND THE AIRSPEED IS BETWEEN 55-60 KIAS. I REALIZE AT ABOUT TWENTY FEET THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO RUN THE AIRCRAFT ONTO THE TAXIWAY. I APPLIED FULL COLLECTIVE AT APPROXIMATELY TEN FEET AGL AND LEVELED THE SHIP TO TRY AND RUN THE AIRCRAFT ON. WE CONTACTED THE GROUND AT A SLIGHT NOSE LOW ATTITUDE AND I FELT THE HELICOPTER BOUNCE ONCE AND YAW TO THE RIGHT. THERE WAS ALSO A SLIGHT LEFT ROLL. IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO ACCOUNT FOR THE REST OF THE IMPACT SCENARIO. WE CAME TO REST AT THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE TAXIWAY FACING SOUTHEAST AND ON OUR LEFT SIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.