20231001014119A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 · Hochatown, OK · October 1, 2023

Date: October 1, 2023 · 13:32 local
Place: Hochatown, OK
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N379SH
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN24LA004
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44
Reported engine: Lycoming O-540-F1B5
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,312 total600 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

N379SHRegistration cancelled Apr 20, 2024 · Robinson Helicopter R44S/N 2240 · Built 2012 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 Engine modelLycoming O-540-F1B5Reciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

After departing a private heliport in Hochatown, OK the pilot maneuvered the aircraft at 400 feet AGL to practice an auto-rotation maneuver in a field 0.3 miles south/southeast of the departure point. After starting the maneuver and bringing the throttle to idle, the engine lost power. The pilot executed an auto rotation into the field. The helicopter was on an approximate 360 heading when this occurred, the aircraft impacted the ground and came to rest on a 210 heading. After impacting the ground, the main rotor blades hit the tail boom, severing the boom and tail rotor from the rest of the aircraft. The front of the left skid was found broken in between an impact mark on the ground and the helicopter. The mark was approximately 7 feet from the helicopter. The broken tail section pieces of the helicopter were found behind (northeast) the main aircraft in a debris field that extended approximately 82 feet. There were no injuries to the pilot.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER DEPARTING A PRIVATE HELIPORT IN HOCHATOWN, OK THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE AIRCRAFT AT 400 FEET AGL TO PRACTICE AN AUTO-ROTATION MANEUVER IN A FIELD 0.3 MILES SOUTH/SOUTHEAST OF THE DEPARTURE POINT. AFTER STARTING THE MANEUVER AND BRINGING THE THROTTLE TO IDLE, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT EXECUTED AN AUTO ROTATION INTO THE FIELD. THE HELICOPTER WAS ON AN APPROXIMATE 360 HEADING WHEN THIS OCCURRED, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AND CAME TO REST ON A 210 HEADING. AFTER IMPACTING THE GROUND, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES HIT THE TAIL BOOM, SEVERING THE BOOM AND TAIL ROTOR FROM THE REST OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE FRONT OF THE LEFT SKID WAS FOUND BROKEN IN BETWEEN AN IMPACT MARK ON THE GROUND AND THE HELICOPTER. THE MARK WAS APPROXIMATELY 7 FEET FROM THE HELICOPTER. THE BROKEN TAIL SECTION PIECES OF THE HELICOPTER WERE FOUND BEHIND (NORTHEAST) THE MAIN AIRCRAFT IN A DEBRIS FIELD THAT EXTENDED APPROXIMATELY 82 FEET. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN24LA004Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportHochatown, OKA total loss of engine power during a practice autorotation due to the improper engine idle setting and rigging of the carburetor heat control which resulted in a hard landing.Oct 1, 2023 · Substantial damage