20100407031999I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Schweizer 269C-1 · Zellwood, FL · April 7, 2010

Date: April 7, 2010 · 14:15 local
Place: Zellwood, FL
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N72LP
Reported as: Schweizer 269C-1
Reported engine: Lycoming HO-360
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 820 total780 in this make and model110 in the last 90 days

N72LPRegistered now · Schweizer 269C-1S/N 0152 · Built 2003 Airframe modelSchweizer 269C-1 Engine modelLycoming HO-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

In preparation for practicing a hovering autorotation from 2 feet above the ground, the flight instructor briefed the student on the steps involved, to include an understanding that the maneuver would be initiated with a countdown so that both student and instructor would be ready for the task. Specific instructions included a countdown as follows: three, two, one, enter. Upon the word enter, the student was to roll off the throttle and hold the collective in place. However, one or two seconds after the briefing and without a countdown, the student lowered the collective as if practicing an AUT0ROTATION from altitude, causing a rapid descent. While already guarding the controls, the flight instructor instantly attempted to stop the rapid descent. Such action prevented major damage to the helicopter, but with the helicopter only 2 feet above the ground, contact with the surface was imminent. Accordingly, the helicopter sustained minor damage to the skid crossbeam tube.

As the FAA filed it

IN PREPARATION FOR PRACTICING A HOVERING AUTOROTATION FROM 2 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR BRIEFED THE STUDENT ON THE STEPS INVOLVED, TO INCLUDE AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THE MANEUVER WOULD BE INITIATED WITH A COUNTDOWN SO THAT BOTH STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR WOULD BE READY FOR THE TASK. SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED A COUNTDOWN AS FOLLOWS: THREE, TWO, ONE, ENTER. UPON THE WORD ENTER, THE STUDENT WAS TO ROLL OFF THE THROTTLE AND HOLD THE COLLECTIVE IN PLACE. HOWEVER, ONE OR TWO SECONDS AFTER THE BRIEFING AND WITHOUT A COUNTDOWN, THE STUDENT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AS IF PRACTICING AN AUT0ROTATION FROM ALTITUDE, CAUSING A RAPID DESCENT. WHILE ALREADY GUARDING THE CONTROLS, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR INSTANTLY ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE RAPID DESCENT. SUCH ACTION PREVENTED MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER, BUT WITH THE HELICOPTER ONLY 2 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE WAS IMMINENT. ACCORDINGLY, THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE SKID CROSSBEAM TUBE.