What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The crew was conducting required training in preparation for the students category and class rating check ride in two days. The crew practiced several autorotations at the Spanish Fork airport (spk), and proceeded to the practice area west of the airport. After recovering from a practice settling with power maneuver, the instructor rolled the throttle to idle and announced the simulated engine failure. At some point in the autorotation the engine quit without the pilots realizing it. The instructor called for a power recovery between 300 to 500 feet above the ground. The student in anticipation of the engine spooling up while rolling on the throttle started to pull collective. Noticing the engine had failed, the instructor took the controls and landed at the point intended for the practice autorotation. The skids dug into the soft plowed field causing the right skid to collapse and the aircraft to roll on its side.; the helicopter incurred substantial damage as a result.
The pilots were wearing noise cancelling headsets when flying. They claim the engine cannot heard at idle while using the noise cancelling headsets. The lack of audible ques, commonly used as a primary engine monitoring with piston engines, was not present to give an immediate indication of an engine failure.
As the FAA filed it
THE CREW WAS CONDUCTING REQUIRED TRAINING IN PREPARATION FOR THE STUDENTS CATEGORY AND CLASS RATING CHECK RIDE IN TWO DAYS. THE CREW PRACTICED SEVERAL AUTOROTATIONS AT THE SPANISH FORK AIRPORT (SPK), AND PROCEEDED TO THE PRACTICE AREA WEST OF THE AIRPORT. AFTER RECOVERING FROM A PRACTICE SETTLING WITH POWER MANEUVER, THE INSTRUCTOR ROLLED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AND ANNOUNCED THE SIMULATED ENGINE FAILURE. AT SOME POINT IN THE AUTOROTATION THE ENGINE QUIT WITHOUT THE PILOTS REALIZING IT. THE INSTRUCTOR CALLED FOR A POWER RECOVERY BETWEEN 300 TO 500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE STUDENT IN ANTICIPATION OF THE ENGINE SPOOLING UP WHILE ROLLING ON THE THROTTLE STARTED TO PULL COLLECTIVE. NOTICING THE ENGINE HAD FAILED, THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE CONTROLS AND LANDED AT THE POINT INTENDED FOR THE PRACTICE AUTOROTATION. THE SKIDS DUG INTO THE SOFT PLOWED FIELD CAUSING THE RIGHT SKID TO COLLAPSE AND THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL ON ITS SIDE.; THE HELICOPTER INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT.
THE PILOTS WERE WEARING NOISE CANCELLING HEADSETS WHEN FLYING. THEY CLAIM THE ENGINE CANNOT HEARD AT IDLE WHILE USING THE NOISE CANCELLING HEADSETS. THE LACK OF AUDIBLE QUES, COMMONLY USED AS A PRIMARY ENGINE MONITORING WITH PISTON ENGINES, WAS NOT PRESENT TO GIVE AN IMMEDIATE INDICATION OF AN ENGINE FAILURE.
Other reports on N7480F · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.