20130509011909A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell OH-58C · Jekyll Island, GA · May 9, 2013

Date: May 9, 2013 · 17:30 local
Place: Jekyll Island, GA
Airport: Jekyll Island
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N927SP
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA13TA237
Reported as: Bell OH-58C
Reported engine: RR T63
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

N927SPRegistered now · Bell OH-58CS/N 69-16301 Airframe modelBell OH-58C

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.

N927SP was being operated by the georga state patrol for emergency procedures training. While performing hover autorotation, the rotor RPM decreased, followed by the winds shifting,the aircraft hit hard on the rear skids and rocked forward. The tail of the aircraft pitched up and struck the main rotor.

The entire tail boom assembly will have to be replaced.

As the FAA filed it

N927SP WAS BEING OPERATED BY THE GEORGA STATE PATROL FOR EMERGENCY PROCEDURES TRAINING. WHILE PERFORMING HOVER AUTOROTATION, THE ROTOR RPM DECREASED, FOLLOWED BY THE WINDS SHIFTING,THE AIRCRAFT HIT HARD ON THE REAR SKIDS AND ROCKED FORWARD. THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP AND STRUCK THE MAIN ROTOR.

THE ENTIRE TAIL BOOM ASSEMBLY WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED.

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 ERA13TA237Accident · No injuriesFinal reportJekyll Island, GAThe pilot's failure to maintain rotor rpm in the normal operating range during a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the inadequate supervision by the flight instructor.May 9, 2013 · Substantial damage