20111207029299A

THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED FOLLOWING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WHILE CONDUCTING PRACTICE AUTO ROTATIONS. THE CFI FIRST DEMONSTRATED THE PROPER TECHNIQUE AND EXPLAINED THE PROCESS AND PROCEDURES DURING THE DEMONSTRATION. THE STUDENT THEN FLEW THE AIRCRAFT UP TO 1500 FT AND ENTERED A SIMULATED AUTOROTATION AT THE DIRECTION OF THE CFI. AT AN ALTITUDE OF 1000 FEET THE STUDENT WAS INSTRUCTED TO RECOVER FROM THE AUTO AND DID SO AS INSTRUCTED. WHILE CONDUCTING THE SECOND PRACTICE MANEUVER, DURING THE RECOVERY PHASE THE STUDENT ROLLED THE THROTTLE ON BUT THIS TIME THE CFI REPORTS THAT THE AIRCRAFT YAWED TO THE RIGHT AND THE TACHOMETERS INDICATED AN OVERSPEED WITH BOTH ENGINE AND ROTOR RPM "PEGGED" ABOVE THE GREEN ARC.THE CFI REPORTS IMMEDIATELY TAKING OVER THE CONTROLS AND MAKES THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:"MY STUDENT ROLLED ON THE THROTTLE AND I FELT A YAW TO THE RIGHT. I COUNTERED WITH THE LEFT PEDAL, AT THIS TIME I STATED "I HAVE THE CONTROLS" AND MY STUDENT LET GO OF THE CONTROLS. I FIRST NOTICED BOTH THE ENGINE AND ROTOR RPM WERE PEGGED ON TOP SO I IMMEDIATELY ROLLED OFF SOME THROTTLE TO LOWER ENGINE RPM. THEN I STARTED TO RAISE THE COLLECTIVE TO LOWER ROTOR RPM, BUT NEITHER OF THE RPM NEEDLES WERE DROOPING. I WAS MAINTAINING A LEVEL ATTITUDE BUT WAS STILL GETTING CLOSER TO THE GROUND. I CONTINUED TO PULL UP ON THE COLLECTIVE AND THE NEEDLES DIDN'T RESPOND AND WERE STILL PEGGED. WE WERE GETTING CLOSER TO THE GROUND SO I LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LAND. I LOOKED DOWN AND DETERMINED THAT WE HAVE A LARGE SAFE AREA TO LAND IN THE FIELD BELOW. WE PREPARED FOR A HARD LANDING. AS WE WERE LANDING I HEARD THE LOW RPM HORN SOUND WHICH INDICATES THE ROTOR RPM IS 97% OR BELOW. NOW SAFELY ON THE GROUND THE LOW RPM HORN WAS SOUNDING AND THE COLLECTIVE WAS STUCK IN THE UP POSITION. MY STUDENT AND I DIDN'T FEEL THE THAT THE IMPACT WAS HARD ENOUGH THAT THE HELICOPTER WOULD HAVE SUSTAINED THE DAMAGES IT DID. WE ACTUALLY THOUGHT THE LANDING WAS QUITE SOFT".DECEMBER 7 AT 8:39 AM HST FAA INSPECTOR LANCE JOHNSON RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MECHANIC, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, INFORMING HIM OF THE INCIDENT. FAA INSPECTORS LANCE JOHNSON, KYLE BARTLER AND WALTER WATSON ARRIVED ON SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 HST. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND IN A LARGE FARM FIELD TOWARDS THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF OAHU NEAR KUNIA ROAD IN WAIPAHU HAWAII. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT POINTED IN A SOUTH EAST DIRECTION, APPROXIMATE HEADING OF 120 DEGREES. THE TAILBOOM OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEVERED AT ITS MID POINT AND THE TAILROTOR, TAILROTOR GEARBOX, HORIZONTAL/VERTICAL STABILIZERS WERE FOUND MOSTLY INTACT AS AN ASSEMBLY ABOUT THIRTY FEET OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF THE TAILBOOM STRUCTURE WERE FOUND SCATTED ABOUT IN A SEMICIRCLE IN FRONT AND TO THE LEFT FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE TAILROTOR DRIVESHAFT WAS FOUND IN FRONT AND TO LEFT OF THE AIRCRAFT APROX. 375 FEET AWAY. ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE WAS FOUND TO BE HEAVILY DAMAGED, BUCKLED IN SEVERAL PLACES BUT IN ONE PIECE, THE OTHER MAIN ROTOR BLADE EXHIBITED VERY LITTLE DAMAGE OTHER THEN SOME SCUFFS AND SCRATCHES ON THE OUTBOARD LEADING EDGE AND LOWER SKIN. THE TOP OF THE CABIN AND THE AFT MAIN ROTOR GEARBOX COVER WERE DAMAGED FROM CONTACT WITH THE MAIN ROTOR MAST FAIRING. THE HEAVILY DAMAGED MAIN ROTOR BLADE'S PITCH CHANGE HORN WAS SEVERED AT THE SWASHPLATE. THE MAIN ROTOR GEARBOX SUPPORT FRAME WAS BENT AT THE AFT LOWER LONGITUDINAL TUBES. THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL FIREWALLS WERE BUCKLED IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS. THE RIGHT SIDE WINDSHIELD WAS LOOSE FROM THE LOWER AND AFT RETAINER. ALL FLIGHT AND ENGINE CONTROLS WERE CHECKED FOR CONTINUITY AND APPEARED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE PILOT REPORTED NO ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.