What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft departed the north Las Vegas airport for a part 61 training flight.
After conducting flight training west of Las Vegas, Nevada, the CFI had the student fly to the area of red rock canyon for the purpose of orientation.
The CFI then had the student turn back toward the north Las Vegas airport and told the student to demonstrate a simulated loss of engine power.
The student initiated the procedure at an altitude of approximately 4,000 feet AGL.
The CFI stated that as he announced the beginning of the procedure, that he had slightly lowered the collective control;
That the student then lowered the collective a bit more, though they did not observe a split between the engine and rotor RPM;
That the CFI then lowered the collective even further and then saw a split in the indicated RPM readings.
The CFI stated that after the student was established in the autorotation, the CFI scanned the instruments and saw that the engine RPM had decreased to zero.
The CFI took over control of the aircraft and continued the autorotation to a very large desert area.
The CFI stated that the touchdown appeared normal upon touching down, though the aircraft then suddenly stopped and rocked forward,
When asked, the CFI stated that they did not manually roll the throttle off during the commencement of the practice maneuver.
An investigation of the crash site revealed that the aircraft appearred to have touched down with slight ground disturbance on terrain that was fairly level with a slight downslope;
That after touching down, the aircraft slid into an area with softer sand;
That the damage to the aircraft was consistant with the aircraft rocking forward while quickly stopping the ground slide and then rocking back and striking the tail on the ground.
Flight control continuity was established.
All parts of the aircraft were contained within the crash site.
The aircraft had sufficient amount of fuel and all controls and switches were found in normal positions.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE NORTH LAS VEGAS AIRPORT FOR A PART 61 TRAINING FLIGHT.
AFTER CONDUCTING FLIGHT TRAINING WEST OF LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, THE CFI HAD THE STUDENT FLY TO THE AREA OF RED ROCK CANYON FOR THE PURPOSE OF ORIENTATION.
THE CFI THEN HAD THE STUDENT TURN BACK TOWARD THE NORTH LAS VEGAS AIRPORT AND TOLD THE STUDENT TO DEMONSTRATE A SIMULATED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
THE STUDENT INITIATED THE PROCEDURE AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 4,000 FEET AGL.
THE CFI STATED THAT AS HE ANNOUNCED THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCEDURE, THAT HE HAD SLIGHTLY LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE CONTROL;
THAT THE STUDENT THEN LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE A BIT MORE, THOUGH THEY DID NOT OBSERVE A SPLIT BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND ROTOR RPM;
THAT THE CFI THEN LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE EVEN FURTHER AND THEN SAW A SPLIT IN THE INDICATED RPM READINGS.
THE CFI STATED THAT AFTER THE STUDENT WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE AUTOROTATION, THE CFI SCANNED THE INSTRUMENTS AND SAW THAT THE ENGINE RPM HAD DECREASED TO ZERO.
THE CFI TOOK OVER CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND CONTINUED THE AUTOROTATION TO A VERY LARGE DESERT AREA.
THE CFI STATED THAT THE TOUCHDOWN APPEARED NORMAL UPON TOUCHING DOWN, THOUGH THE AIRCRAFT THEN SUDDENLY STOPPED AND ROCKED FORWARD,
WHEN ASKED, THE CFI STATED THAT THEY DID NOT MANUALLY ROLL THE THROTTLE OFF DURING THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE PRACTICE MANEUVER.
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT APPEARRED TO HAVE TOUCHED DOWN WITH SLIGHT GROUND DISTURBANCE ON TERRAIN THAT WAS FAIRLY LEVEL WITH A SLIGHT DOWNSLOPE;
THAT AFTER TOUCHING DOWN, THE AIRCRAFT SLID INTO AN AREA WITH SOFTER SAND;
THAT THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSISTANT WITH THE AIRCRAFT ROCKING FORWARD WHILE QUICKLY STOPPING THE GROUND SLIDE AND THEN ROCKING BACK AND STRIKING THE TAIL ON THE GROUND.
FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED.
ALL PARTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE CONTAINED WITHIN THE CRASH SITE.
THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF FUEL AND ALL CONTROLS AND SWITCHES WERE FOUND IN NORMAL POSITIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.