# Accident 20210122002339A: Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E, Queen Creek, AZ, January 22, 2021 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 22, 2021, 09:30 local time - Place: Queen Creek, AZ - Airport: Rittenhouse Army Heliport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.3200° N, 111.4800° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3200&lon=-111.4800&mi=10 - Aircraft: N90TG (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER 369E - Reported engine: ALLISON 250-C20 SER - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport - Pilot flight hours: 20,456 total, 1 in this make and model, 1 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR21LA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21LA093) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210122002339A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON 22 JANUARY 2021 AT AROUND 1630 ZULU 0930 MST N90TG, A 1990 MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER, MODEL 369E SERIAL NUMBER 383E, WAS ON APPROACH TO RITTENHOUSE ARMY HELIPORT (A38), WHICH APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES SOUTH OF FALCON FIELD (FFZ) IN MESA, ARIZONA. THE PILOT STATED HE COMPLETED A FEW APPROACHES AT THE ARMY HELIPORT PRACTICE AREA AND TRAVELED A COUPLE MILES SOUTH EAST TO SET UP FOR A PRACTICE APPROACH TO AN OFF AIRPORT LOCATION. PILOT STATED ALL WAS NORMAL AND AS HE INCREASED IN COLLECTIVE AND ADDED TO COME INTO A HOVER, HE STATED THE ROTORCRAFT NOSED RIGHT. PILOT TRIED TO ARREST IT MOTION WITH LEFT PEDAL INPUT BUT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER. ROTORCRAFT SPUN RIGHT AND LEFT SKID CAUGHT THE GROUND AND BENT INWARD AS THE ROTORCRAFT ROLLED ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE. NO INJURIES REPORTED AND 1 PERSON ON BOARD. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ROTORCRAFT. SPEAKING WITH AN OPERATIONS SAFETY INSPECTOR THROUGH AN ASSIST, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PILOT LACKED THE ABILITY TO REMEMBER THE GOVERNOR TRANSITION OF THE TURBINE POWERED ROTORCRAFT ENGINE TO THE MAIN DRIVE. IT IS BELIEVED THAT IMPROPER MANAGEMENT OF THE THROTTLE BY THE PILOT RESULTED IN THE GOVERNOR INABILITY TO AUTOMATICALLY TAKEOVER FOR THE POWER INPUT RESULTING IN A LESS THAN NORMAL NEEDED POWER INPUT PHYSICALLY BY THE PILOT RESULT IN A LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS CAUSING THE YAW MOMENT INTO THE ROTORCRAFT ROLLING OVER. PILOT HAD ONLY 0.8 HOURS IN SYSTEMS TRAINING FOR THIS MAKE/MODEL AND NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN TURBINE POWER ROTORCRAFT EXCEPT FOR 1 HOUR OF TRAINING. THE FLIGHT WAS FOR PERSONAL USE TO BUILD TIME. THE PILOT RECEIVED COUNSELING REFER TO ACTIVITY WP07202101570 FOR COUNSELING DETAILS. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB WPR21LA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21LA093), Jan 22, 2021: Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E (N90TG), Queen Creek, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's uncoordinated flight control inputs while entering a hover, which lead to a loss of aircraft control which resulted in the left skid making contact with the ground, causing the helicopter… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.