What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot and instructor were 1.5 hours into the training for the commercial rated pilot. This was the first landing upon return to their home airport after conducting settling with power, confined area, pinnacle and slope landing in the labadie area; and running landings, stuck pedal maneuvers, and power recovery autorotations at Washington regional airport (kfyg). The instructor performed the first touchdown autorotation landing to the west on taxiway f as a demonstration for the pilot in training. Both pilots stated the descent, rotor RPM, speed, deceleration flare and level off were normal. The final portion of the touchdown was a normal firm touchdown for an autorotation. The instructor described using all the available collective upward travel when he felt a bump in the cyclic and the collective became difficult to hold full down. The aircraft shook violently to a stop. The instructor conducted an emergency shutdown and both pilots exited without assistance.
The instructor discussed the light tailwind at the time of the accident and the differences in landing gear height between the Hughes 369A and the MD-500 as a possible contributing factor. The high profile landing gear of the MD-500 and the low landing gear of the Hughes 369A creates a substantially different sight picture. The winds were reported in a special observation at 15:28 (20:58 zulu) as variable at 3 knots. The windsock next to the accident site indicated a wind from 080 degrees an approximately 5 knots. The pilot indicated the winds were about the same at the time of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR WERE 1.5 HOURS INTO THE TRAINING FOR THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT. THIS WAS THE FIRST LANDING UPON RETURN TO THEIR HOME AIRPORT AFTER CONDUCTING SETTLING WITH POWER, CONFINED AREA, PINNACLE AND SLOPE LANDING IN THE LABADIE AREA; AND RUNNING LANDINGS, STUCK PEDAL MANEUVERS, AND POWER RECOVERY AUTOROTATIONS AT WASHINGTON REGIONAL AIRPORT (KFYG). THE INSTRUCTOR PERFORMED THE FIRST TOUCHDOWN AUTOROTATION LANDING TO THE WEST ON TAXIWAY F AS A DEMONSTRATION FOR THE PILOT IN TRAINING. BOTH PILOTS STATED THE DESCENT, ROTOR RPM, SPEED, DECELERATION FLARE AND LEVEL OFF WERE NORMAL. THE FINAL PORTION OF THE TOUCHDOWN WAS A NORMAL FIRM TOUCHDOWN FOR AN AUTOROTATION. THE INSTRUCTOR DESCRIBED USING ALL THE AVAILABLE COLLECTIVE UPWARD TRAVEL WHEN HE FELT A BUMP IN THE CYCLIC AND THE COLLECTIVE BECAME DIFFICULT TO HOLD FULL DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT SHOOK VIOLENTLY TO A STOP. THE INSTRUCTOR CONDUCTED AN EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN AND BOTH PILOTS EXITED WITHOUT ASSISTANCE.
THE INSTRUCTOR DISCUSSED THE LIGHT TAILWIND AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE DIFFERENCES IN LANDING GEAR HEIGHT BETWEEN THE HUGHES 369A AND THE MD-500 AS A POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. THE HIGH PROFILE LANDING GEAR OF THE MD-500 AND THE LOW LANDING GEAR OF THE HUGHES 369A CREATES A SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT SIGHT PICTURE. THE WINDS WERE REPORTED IN A SPECIAL OBSERVATION AT 15:28 (20:58 ZULU) AS VARIABLE AT 3 KNOTS. THE WINDSOCK NEXT TO THE ACCIDENT SITE INDICATED A WIND FROM 080 DEGREES AN APPROXIMATELY 5 KNOTS. THE PILOT INDICATED THE WINDS WERE ABOUT THE SAME AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.