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20091016053579A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Mcdonnell D 500N · Los Alamitos, CA · October 16, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 16, 2009 · 11:00 local
Place
Los Alamitos, CA
Airport
Los Alamitos
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N521HB
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR10TA025
Reported as
Mcdonnell D 500N
Reported engine
Allison 250-C20 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
1,841 total1,780 in this make and model130 in the last 90 days
N521HBRegistration cancelled Mar 4, 2023 · Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 500NS/N LN084 · Built 1998Airframe modelMcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 500NEngine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

During my interview with the pilot, he stated that they were about one hour into the training flight when he decided to demonstrate a power recovery autorotation. The flight was normal upon entering the maneuver. During the recovery portion of the maneuver, he rolled on the throttle and began his flare when he noticed that his sink rate was somewhat high so he decided to do a full-down instead of possibly overtorquing the aircraft to arrest the descent. He stated that the touchdown felt normal. Upon return to a hover, the pilot being trained noticed a piece of fabric with the same color as their aircraft, blow out from under the aircraft. (This was later determined to be a piece of fiberglass cloth that the tail boom is made from.) They decided to land the aircraft on the parking ramp for a precautionary inspection. Upon discovering the damage to the tail boom, they contacted their maintenance staff and management for further directions. The aircraft was recovered and transported to their maintenance base.

As the FAA filed it

DURING MY INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT, HE STATED THAT THEY WERE ABOUT ONE HOUR INTO THE TRAINING FLIGHT WHEN HE DECIDED TO DEMONSTRATE A POWER RECOVERY AUTOROTATION. THE FLIGHT WAS NORMAL UPON ENTERING THE MANEUVER. DURING THE RECOVERY PORTION OF THE MANEUVER, HE ROLLED ON THE THROTTLE AND BEGAN HIS FLARE WHEN HE NOTICED THAT HIS SINK RATE WAS SOMEWHAT HIGH SO HE DECIDED TO DO A FULL-DOWN INSTEAD OF POSSIBLY OVERTORQUING THE AIRCRAFT TO ARREST THE DESCENT. HE STATED THAT THE TOUCHDOWN FELT NORMAL. UPON RETURN TO A HOVER, THE PILOT BEING TRAINED NOTICED A PIECE OF FABRIC WITH THE SAME COLOR AS THEIR AIRCRAFT, BLOW OUT FROM UNDER THE AIRCRAFT. (THIS WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE A PIECE OF FIBERGLASS CLOTH THAT THE TAIL BOOM IS MADE FROM.) THEY DECIDED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON THE PARKING RAMP FOR A PRECAUTIONARY INSPECTION. UPON DISCOVERING THE DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM, THEY CONTACTED THEIR MAINTENANCE STAFF AND MANAGEMENT FOR FURTHER DIRECTIONS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED AND TRANSPORTED TO THEIR MAINTENANCE BASE.

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 WPR10TA025Accident · No injuriesFinal reportLos Alamitos, CAThe flight instructor's delayed remedial action during the instructional autorotative landing, which resulted in a failure to maintain an adequate rotor rpm to avoid a hard landing.Oct 16, 2009 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N521HB · 1

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

Accident 20220219001009AManeuver · Newport Beach, CAOn 02/19/2022, approximately 18:30 pacific standard time, huntington Beach police helicopter, MD500N, N521HB, operating as a public aircraft, responded to a call near the lido peninsula in Newport Beach, CA. While performing right hand orbits over the scene…Feb 19, 2022 · Substantial damage · 1 fatal