What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The riverside sheriff department aviation unit AS350B3 was in the traffic pattern at Hemet-ryan airport conducting emergency governor training. After turning final for landing on runway 23, helicopter was in a nose high attitude with low forward airspeed, low rotor RPM, and a rapid rate of descent that the crew (CFI and trainee pilot) were not able to arrest. The aircraft landed hard just past the runway 23 threshold. The aircraft struck hard on the aft portion of the landing skids and tail skid, lost the tail boom forward of the tail rotor due to the landing impact and main rotor strikes, bounced then landed hard again breaking off the left skid and rotaing 160 degrees to the aircraft's right. The aircraft came to rest on its right side on a 050 degree heading. Riverside sheriff aviation unit maintenance personnel shutoff the still running engine while the crew exited the aircraft on its own.
Block 43 issues cont'd:
3. Unit maturity - promotions, retirements, and re-assignments have diluted the previously high experience level in this airborne law enforcement unit. The unit?s previous CFI retired and now flies/instructs for the riverside sheriff?s aviation unit on only a part-time basis. He had an effective, albeit informal training program which effectively and safely progressed a new pilot through aircraft familiarization then progressively more difficult mission tasks (surveillance to NVG flying to rescue hoist training) in increasingly more demanding environments (operations below 6000 ft MSL to high altitude mountain flying). The unit CFI at the controls of the accident aircraft is a qualified mission pilot, but is still building the instructional experience that the unit?s previous full-time CFI possessed. Additionally, this was the current unit CFI?s first primary student to train as a commercial pilot.
C. trainee pilot-
1. Inexperience ? The purpose of the trainee pilot?s flight was to obtain his last .5 hours of simulated instrument flight training and do emergency governor operations training (note: CFI disengages the engine governor by moving the governor switch from the auto to manual mode so the trainee is forced to manually control the engine?s fuel flow ). The trainee pilot never had the maneuver demonstrated to him so could not anticipate the effect of his control inputs during the approach and landing phases. The trainee pilot was on the controls during the entire time the governor switch was in the manual mode.
2. CRM ? The trainee pilot did not transfer the controls to the CFI during the approach and landing phases nor was he directed to. The trainee pilot attempted to control the aircraft to the best of his abilities even after encountering difficulties (low rotor RPM and high descent rate on final approach).
As the FAA filed it
THE RIVERSIDE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT AVIATION UNIT AS350B3 WAS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT HEMET-RYAN AIRPORT CONDUCTING EMERGENCY GOVERNOR TRAINING. AFTER TURNING FINAL FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 23, HELICOPTER WAS IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE WITH LOW FORWARD AIRSPEED, LOW ROTOR RPM, AND A RAPID RATE OF DESCENT THAT THE CREW (CFI AND TRAINEE PILOT) WERE NOT ABLE TO ARREST. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD JUST PAST THE RUNWAY 23 THRESHOLD. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK HARD ON THE AFT PORTION OF THE LANDING SKIDS AND TAIL SKID, LOST THE TAIL BOOM FORWARD OF THE TAIL ROTOR DUE TO THE LANDING IMPACT AND MAIN ROTOR STRIKES, BOUNCED THEN LANDED HARD AGAIN BREAKING OFF THE LEFT SKID AND ROTAING 160 DEGREES TO THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE ON A 050 DEGREE HEADING. RIVERSIDE SHERIFF AVIATION UNIT MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL SHUTOFF THE STILL RUNNING ENGINE WHILE THE CREW EXITED THE AIRCRAFT ON ITS OWN.
BLOCK 43 ISSUES CONT'D:
3. UNIT MATURITY - PROMOTIONS, RETIREMENTS, AND RE-ASSIGNMENTS HAVE DILUTED THE PREVIOUSLY HIGH EXPERIENCE LEVEL IN THIS AIRBORNE LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIT. THE UNIT?S PREVIOUS CFI RETIRED AND NOW FLIES/INSTRUCTS FOR THE RIVERSIDE SHERIFF?S AVIATION UNIT ON ONLY A PART-TIME BASIS. HE HAD AN EFFECTIVE, ALBEIT INFORMAL TRAINING PROGRAM WHICH EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY PROGRESSED A NEW PILOT THROUGH AIRCRAFT FAMILIARIZATION THEN PROGRESSIVELY MORE DIFFICULT MISSION TASKS (SURVEILLANCE TO NVG FLYING TO RESCUE HOIST TRAINING) IN INCREASINGLY MORE DEMANDING ENVIRONMENTS (OPERATIONS BELOW 6000 FT MSL TO HIGH ALTITUDE MOUNTAIN FLYING). THE UNIT CFI AT THE CONTROLS OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT IS A QUALIFIED MISSION PILOT, BUT IS STILL BUILDING THE INSTRUCTIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT THE UNIT?S PREVIOUS FULL-TIME CFI POSSESSED. ADDITIONALLY, THIS WAS THE CURRENT UNIT CFI?S FIRST PRIMARY STUDENT TO TRAIN AS A COMMERCIAL PILOT.
C. TRAINEE PILOT-
1. INEXPERIENCE ? THE PURPOSE OF THE TRAINEE PILOT?S FLIGHT WAS TO OBTAIN HIS LAST .5 HOURS OF SIMULATED INSTRUMENT FLIGHT TRAINING AND DO EMERGENCY GOVERNOR OPERATIONS TRAINING (NOTE: CFI DISENGAGES THE ENGINE GOVERNOR BY MOVING THE GOVERNOR SWITCH FROM THE AUTO TO MANUAL MODE SO THE TRAINEE IS FORCED TO MANUALLY CONTROL THE ENGINE?S FUEL FLOW ). THE TRAINEE PILOT NEVER HAD THE MANEUVER DEMONSTRATED TO HIM SO COULD NOT ANTICIPATE THE EFFECT OF HIS CONTROL INPUTS DURING THE APPROACH AND LANDING PHASES. THE TRAINEE PILOT WAS ON THE CONTROLS DURING THE ENTIRE TIME THE GOVERNOR SWITCH WAS IN THE MANUAL MODE.
2. CRM ? THE TRAINEE PILOT DID NOT TRANSFER THE CONTROLS TO THE CFI DURING THE APPROACH AND LANDING PHASES NOR WAS HE DIRECTED TO. THE TRAINEE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT TO THE BEST OF HIS ABILITIES EVEN AFTER ENCOUNTERING DIFFICULTIES (LOW ROTOR RPM AND HIGH DESCENT RATE ON FINAL APPROACH).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.