What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 19, 2022, at approximately 1227L, a guimbal cabri G-2 helicopter, N457PA, registered to a part 141 flight school, ideal aviation (ch), made a hard landing in a field located near horseshoe lake, latitude: 38°40?58.8? N and longitude: 90°06?12.6?. The hard landing resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft, and no injuries were sustained by either the certified flight instructor (CFI) or student pilot (sp).
A part 141 training flight was being conducted. Approximately an hour into the flight consisting of numerous high and low recons and at least four (4) landings. Prior to the last approch to landing, CFI and sp listened to the weather report out of cps to verify their wind analysis was accurate. Once they had obtained the wind speed and direction, CFI instructed the sp to conduct and talk through a high and low recon, verify the winds and set up for a step approach. Sp had primary controls but CFI stated he was still on the controls to ensure quick response in the chance of a mistake by the sp. As they reached approximately 100 feet above ground level (AGL) and with a forward air speed below effective transitional lift (etl), N457PA began to yaw to the left, indicating aircraft had begun to experience loss of tail rotor effectiveness (lte), and the CFI announced he had controls. CFI was able, for a brief moment, to use the anti-torque pedals to arrest the yaw before the spin began again. CFI related the controls felt very heavy like flying a Robinson-44 with hydraulics off. Just before impact with the ground, CFI stated he was out of pedal and began to lower the collective to help slow the rate of spin. The spin had slowed, as aircraft made the hard touchdown, enough as to not continue the spin on the ground and cause a dynamic rollover. CFI then pulled the mixture, shutting down aircraft, ensured both were not injured and they exited the aircraft. CFI then began the notification process. ASI asked sp to explain his version of the day?s events and they coincided with CFI?s description. Sp stated, once the yaw began and the CFI explained he had controls, he stiffened up and had a death grip on controls. Sp stated, just before aircraft made the hard landing, CFI exclaimed you are fighting me on the controls. Sp detailed at that time he forced himself off the controls and CFI was able to slow the spin and somewhat cushion the landing. Once the rotor blades quit spinning they verified there was no injuries and they both exited the aircraft.
Report will be amended if further information become available.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 19, 2022, AT APPROXIMATELY 1227L, A GUIMBAL CABRI G-2 HELICOPTER, N457PA, REGISTERED TO A PART 141 FLIGHT SCHOOL, IDEAL AVIATION (CH), MADE A HARD LANDING IN A FIELD LOCATED NEAR HORSESHOE LAKE, LATITUDE: 38°40?58.8? N AND LONGITUDE: 90°06?12.6?. THE HARD LANDING RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY EITHER THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) OR STUDENT PILOT (SP).
A PART 141 TRAINING FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED. APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR INTO THE FLIGHT CONSISTING OF NUMEROUS HIGH AND LOW RECONS AND AT LEAST FOUR (4) LANDINGS. PRIOR TO THE LAST APPROCH TO LANDING, CFI AND SP LISTENED TO THE WEATHER REPORT OUT OF CPS TO VERIFY THEIR WIND ANALYSIS WAS ACCURATE. ONCE THEY HAD OBTAINED THE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION, CFI INSTRUCTED THE SP TO CONDUCT AND TALK THROUGH A HIGH AND LOW RECON, VERIFY THE WINDS AND SET UP FOR A STEP APPROACH. SP HAD PRIMARY CONTROLS BUT CFI STATED HE WAS STILL ON THE CONTROLS TO ENSURE QUICK RESPONSE IN THE CHANCE OF A MISTAKE BY THE SP. AS THEY REACHED APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AND WITH A FORWARD AIR SPEED BELOW EFFECTIVE TRANSITIONAL LIFT (ETL), N457PA BEGAN TO YAW TO THE LEFT, INDICATING AIRCRAFT HAD BEGUN TO EXPERIENCE LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS (LTE), AND THE CFI ANNOUNCED HE HAD CONTROLS. CFI WAS ABLE, FOR A BRIEF MOMENT, TO USE THE ANTI-TORQUE PEDALS TO ARREST THE YAW BEFORE THE SPIN BEGAN AGAIN. CFI RELATED THE CONTROLS FELT VERY HEAVY LIKE FLYING A ROBINSON-44 WITH HYDRAULICS OFF. JUST BEFORE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND, CFI STATED HE WAS OUT OF PEDAL AND BEGAN TO LOWER THE COLLECTIVE TO HELP SLOW THE RATE OF SPIN. THE SPIN HAD SLOWED, AS AIRCRAFT MADE THE HARD TOUCHDOWN, ENOUGH AS TO NOT CONTINUE THE SPIN ON THE GROUND AND CAUSE A DYNAMIC ROLLOVER. CFI THEN PULLED THE MIXTURE, SHUTTING DOWN AIRCRAFT, ENSURED BOTH WERE NOT INJURED AND THEY EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. CFI THEN BEGAN THE NOTIFICATION PROCESS. ASI ASKED SP TO EXPLAIN HIS VERSION OF THE DAY?S EVENTS AND THEY COINCIDED WITH CFI?S DESCRIPTION. SP STATED, ONCE THE YAW BEGAN AND THE CFI EXPLAINED HE HAD CONTROLS, HE STIFFENED UP AND HAD A DEATH GRIP ON CONTROLS. SP STATED, JUST BEFORE AIRCRAFT MADE THE HARD LANDING, CFI EXCLAIMED YOU ARE FIGHTING ME ON THE CONTROLS. SP DETAILED AT THAT TIME HE FORCED HIMSELF OFF THE CONTROLS AND CFI WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE SPIN AND SOMEWHAT CUSHION THE LANDING. ONCE THE ROTOR BLADES QUIT SPINNING THEY VERIFIED THERE WAS NO INJURIES AND THEY BOTH EXITED THE AIRCRAFT.
REPORT WILL BE AMENDED IF FURTHER INFORMATION BECOME AVAILABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N457PA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.