OpenAirDocs.org

20151026020579I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Hughes 269C · Mesa, AZ · October 26, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
October 26, 2015 · 15:45 local
Place
Mesa, AZ
Airport
Falcon Fld
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N269TT
Reported as
Hughes 269C
Reported engine
Lycoming HIO-360-D1A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
630 total400 in this make and model76 in the last 90 days
N269TTRegistered now · Hughes 269CS/N 680695 · Built 1978Airframe modelHughes 269CEngine modelLycoming HIO-360-D1AReciprocating

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.

CFI and student departed Falcon field on the gecko 1 departure and arrived at the yankee one pattern (echo ramp). CFI had student demonstrate a few normal approaches, normal t/o, max performance t/o and a few straight in auto rotations. After completion of these maneuvers, the CFI demonstrated 3 hovering auto rotations for the student with the student?s hands on the controls before the student attempted the maneuver. The student then proceeded to perform 3 hovering auto rotations by himself. On the 4th hovering autorotation with the student controlling the maneuver, the student attempted to reposition his hand on the throttle that caused him to lean forward slightly before executing the maneuver. After the student initiated the maneuver, he leaned back into his seat causing the cyclic to go backwards with him, which caused the helicopter to rock backwards and strike the tail skid. The CFI quickly pushed the cyclic forward and felt the tail skid (stinger) tap the ground, which resulted in pedal vibrations. The CFI shut the aircraft down, notified the tower, and upon inspection, found that the tail rotor blades had grazed the ground. The CFI then took photos and notified the company.

As the FAA filed it

CFI AND STUDENT DEPARTED FALCON FIELD ON THE GECKO 1 DEPARTURE AND ARRIVED AT THE YANKEE ONE PATTERN (ECHO RAMP). CFI HAD STUDENT DEMONSTRATE A FEW NORMAL APPROACHES, NORMAL T/O, MAX PERFORMANCE T/O AND A FEW STRAIGHT IN AUTO ROTATIONS. AFTER COMPLETION OF THESE MANEUVERS, THE CFI DEMONSTRATED 3 HOVERING AUTO ROTATIONS FOR THE STUDENT WITH THE STUDENT?S HANDS ON THE CONTROLS BEFORE THE STUDENT ATTEMPTED THE MANEUVER. THE STUDENT THEN PROCEEDED TO PERFORM 3 HOVERING AUTO ROTATIONS BY HIMSELF. ON THE 4TH HOVERING AUTOROTATION WITH THE STUDENT CONTROLLING THE MANEUVER, THE STUDENT ATTEMPTED TO REPOSITION HIS HAND ON THE THROTTLE THAT CAUSED HIM TO LEAN FORWARD SLIGHTLY BEFORE EXECUTING THE MANEUVER. AFTER THE STUDENT INITIATED THE MANEUVER, HE LEANED BACK INTO HIS SEAT CAUSING THE CYCLIC TO GO BACKWARDS WITH HIM, WHICH CAUSED THE HELICOPTER TO ROCK BACKWARDS AND STRIKE THE TAIL SKID. THE CFI QUICKLY PUSHED THE CYCLIC FORWARD AND FELT THE TAIL SKID (STINGER) TAP THE GROUND, WHICH RESULTED IN PEDAL VIBRATIONS. THE CFI SHUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN, NOTIFIED THE TOWER, AND UPON INSPECTION, FOUND THAT THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES HAD GRAZED THE GROUND. THE CFI THEN TOOK PHOTOS AND NOTIFIED THE COMPANY.