# Incident 20151026020579I: Hughes 269C, Mesa, AZ, October 26, 2015

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 26, 2015, 15:45 local time
- Place: Mesa, AZ
- Airport: Falcon Fld
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.4608° N, 111.7283° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at FALCON FLD (FFZ), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.4608&lon=-111.7283&mi=10
- Aircraft: N269TT, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N269TT) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hughes 269C (registry code 4470504, https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-269c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (registry code 41893, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-hio-360-d1a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HUGHES 269C
- Reported engine: LYCOMING HIO-360-D1A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 630 total, 400 in this make and model, 76 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20151026020579I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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