What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Bell helicopter company instructor pilot and customer pilot conducting 180 degree autorotation touchdown training. Customer on the controls allowed airspeed to decrease during descent, flare and touchdown. Instructor attempted to increase aircraft airspeed while simultaneously preserve rotor RPM by guarding collective. Aircraft touched down with low rotor RPM and slow airspeed. Both pilots agreed that the landing was firm although not unusually hard and continued training. On post shutdown walk around, moderate tailboom damage "oil canning" was found approximately eighteen inches aft of tailboom mounting point.
As the FAA filed it
BELL HELICOPTER COMPANY INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND CUSTOMER PILOT CONDUCTING 180 DEGREE AUTOROTATION TOUCHDOWN TRAINING. CUSTOMER ON THE CONTROLS ALLOWED AIRSPEED TO DECREASE DURING DESCENT, FLARE AND TOUCHDOWN. INSTRUCTOR ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE AIRCRAFT AIRSPEED WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PRESERVE ROTOR RPM BY GUARDING COLLECTIVE. AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN WITH LOW ROTOR RPM AND SLOW AIRSPEED. BOTH PILOTS AGREED THAT THE LANDING WAS FIRM ALTHOUGH NOT UNUSUALLY HARD AND CONTINUED TRAINING. ON POST SHUTDOWN WALK AROUND, MODERATE TAILBOOM DAMAGE "OIL CANNING" WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY EIGHTEEN INCHES AFT OF TAILBOOM MOUNTING POINT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N2036F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.