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20150505006029A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Hughes TH-55 · Morganton, NC · May 5, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 5, 2015 · 16:50 local
Place
Morganton, NC
Airport
Foothills Regional
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7089S
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA15CA061
Reported as
Hughes TH-55
Reported engine
Lycoming HIO-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,240 total63 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days
N7089SRegistration cancelled May 31, 2018 · Hughes TH-55S/N 67-16817 · Built 1969Airframe modelHughes TH-55Engine modelLycoming HIO-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

The CFI, privacy data omitted, was performing a full down autorotation to get the feel of the aircraft prior to the student performing one of her own. The CFI began the manuever at 500 feet and flared 50 feet off the ground. The tail rotor struck the surface causing the tail boom to break. The aircraft began to rotate and flipped on its left side causing the main rotor blades to contact the ground.

As the FAA filed it

THE CFI, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS PERFORMING A FULL DOWN AUTOROTATION TO GET THE FEEL OF THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE STUDENT PERFORMING ONE OF HER OWN. THE CFI BEGAN THE MANUEVER AT 500 FEET AND FLARED 50 FEET OFF THE GROUND. THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE SURFACE CAUSING THE TAIL BOOM TO BREAK. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO ROTATE AND FLIPPED ON ITS LEFT SIDE CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES TO CONTACT THE GROUND.

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 GAA15CA061Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportMorganton, NCThe flight instructor's delayed flare during a simulated auto rotation, which resulted in a tail rotor strike and rollover.May 5, 2015 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7089S · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20060915021379IAerial Taxi To Tkof/Rtrcrft · Asheville, NC(-23) N7089S, hovered and taxied across runway 34 (avl) at 3,000 foot mark. Pilot states that left pedal stuck and he lost control of aircraft. Heliocopter impacted the ground, skids spread apart and the tail rotor broke. No injuries were reported.Sep 15, 2006 · Minor damage