What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 29, 2013, about 1710 Hawaii standard time, a Eurocopter AS350 B3 helicopter, N985EW, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at the Kailua Kona international airport.
In written statements provided by the flight instructor pilot and co-pilot, they were conducting fadec governor failure training, using manual throttle control and by positioning the auto/manual switch to manual position.
After performing a normal start and run-up, they repositioned to the intersection of taxiways l and a with the fadec in the auto mode and landed the helicopter normally. The pilots once again briefed on the manual throttle maneuver and that manual throttle would be necessary to maintain rotor RPM. While on the ground with the engine at the flight setting and no collective pitch applied the flight instructor pilot positioned the auto/manual switch to the manual position, the co-pilot then performed some hovering maneuvers using manual throttle. After performing these hovering maneuvers, and while still in hover mode, they performed a normal take off using manual throttle.
The takeoff was a closed left traffic pattern back to the taxiway a. at approximately 700? AGL, they began a descending left turn to line up with the taxiway. The co-pilot then remembers a radio altimeter call out of 400? AGL, shortly after both pilots noticed the rotor RPM decreasing with no change in collective or throttle, the co-pilot tried to increase the rotor RPM by increasing the throttle but with no success. The instructor pilot at this time also tried to assist in increasing the rotor RPM by assisting with the throttle but noted the throttle was full open.
At some point during this descent the co-pilot heard the low rotor RPM audio, both pilots both attempted to conserve rotor RPM by lowering the collective with no success, and at this point they tried to cushion the landing by adjusting the collective to full up and land as flat as possible. The helicopter impacted the ground and slid forward on the taxiway.
The helicopter was substantially damaged; the tail boom separated from the fuselage.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 29, 2013, ABOUT 1710 HAWAII STANDARD TIME, A EUROCOPTER AS350 B3 HELICOPTER, N985EW, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A HARD LANDING AT THE KAILUA KONA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
IN WRITTEN STATEMENTS PROVIDED BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND CO-PILOT, THEY WERE CONDUCTING FADEC GOVERNOR FAILURE TRAINING, USING MANUAL THROTTLE CONTROL AND BY POSITIONING THE AUTO/MANUAL SWITCH TO MANUAL POSITION.
AFTER PERFORMING A NORMAL START AND RUN-UP, THEY REPOSITIONED TO THE INTERSECTION OF TAXIWAYS L AND A WITH THE FADEC IN THE AUTO MODE AND LANDED THE HELICOPTER NORMALLY. THE PILOTS ONCE AGAIN BRIEFED ON THE MANUAL THROTTLE MANEUVER AND THAT MANUAL THROTTLE WOULD BE NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM. WHILE ON THE GROUND WITH THE ENGINE AT THE FLIGHT SETTING AND NO COLLECTIVE PITCH APPLIED THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR PILOT POSITIONED THE AUTO/MANUAL SWITCH TO THE MANUAL POSITION, THE CO-PILOT THEN PERFORMED SOME HOVERING MANEUVERS USING MANUAL THROTTLE. AFTER PERFORMING THESE HOVERING MANEUVERS, AND WHILE STILL IN HOVER MODE, THEY PERFORMED A NORMAL TAKE OFF USING MANUAL THROTTLE.
THE TAKEOFF WAS A CLOSED LEFT TRAFFIC PATTERN BACK TO THE TAXIWAY A. AT APPROXIMATELY 700? AGL, THEY BEGAN A DESCENDING LEFT TURN TO LINE UP WITH THE TAXIWAY. THE CO-PILOT THEN REMEMBERS A RADIO ALTIMETER CALL OUT OF 400? AGL, SHORTLY AFTER BOTH PILOTS NOTICED THE ROTOR RPM DECREASING WITH NO CHANGE IN COLLECTIVE OR THROTTLE, THE CO-PILOT TRIED TO INCREASE THE ROTOR RPM BY INCREASING THE THROTTLE BUT WITH NO SUCCESS. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT AT THIS TIME ALSO TRIED TO ASSIST IN INCREASING THE ROTOR RPM BY ASSISTING WITH THE THROTTLE BUT NOTED THE THROTTLE WAS FULL OPEN.
AT SOME POINT DURING THIS DESCENT THE CO-PILOT HEARD THE LOW ROTOR RPM AUDIO, BOTH PILOTS BOTH ATTEMPTED TO CONSERVE ROTOR RPM BY LOWERING THE COLLECTIVE WITH NO SUCCESS, AND AT THIS POINT THEY TRIED TO CUSHION THE LANDING BY ADJUSTING THE COLLECTIVE TO FULL UP AND LAND AS FLAT AS POSSIBLE. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND AND SLID FORWARD ON THE TAXIWAY.
THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED; THE TAIL BOOM SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.