# NTSB ATL07CA122: Bell 206B, N100RW, West Palm Beach, FL, August 28, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: August 28, 2007, 16:45 local (20:45 UTC) - Place: West Palm Beach, FL - Coordinates: 26.840833, -80.220275 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.8408&lon=-80.2203&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 31, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Ft Lauderdale FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 66528 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL07CA122 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/66528/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL07CA122 ## Probable cause The flight Instructor's delayed activation of the throttle during recovery from a demonstartion of an autorotation resulting in touchdown on soft terrain and a nosedown. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Nose down, landing - flare/touchdown - autorotation - intentional, pilot in command(cfi) - throttle/power control - delayed, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - terrain condition - soft - touchdown - inadvertent, pilot in command(cfi) ## Analysis According to the Flight Instructor, "the flight was concluding a training flight. The final exercise was a demonstration of an autorotation to a powered recovery. The entry and glide were normal. During the flare the throttle was opened to reinstate the engine power. At this point I was aware that I did not have sufficient power to bring the aircraft to a hover. I leveled the aircraft and prepared for a touch down autorotation. Contact with the ground was level but with some forward movement. The grass runway was soft due to recent rainfall and as a result the front of the skids dug into the runway bringing the aircraft to a sudden stop. The helicopter tipped forward with some force resulting in the mast tipping forward and the blade flexing down. As the blade rotated to the rear of the aircraft it came into contact with the tail boom and severed the tail rotor drive shaft. The aircraft did remain upright and level and I was able to perform a normal shut down. We then exited the aircraft to inspect the damage." The Flight Instructor further stated that "I should have opened the throttle prior to the [flare] in order to give the engine more time to recover before pulling pitch. I was simply late bringing the power back in." The Flight Instructor reported no engine or mechanical malfunction or failures. ## Factual narrative According to the Flight Instructor, "the flight was concluding a training flight. The final exercise was a demonstration of an autorotation to a powered recovery. The entry and glide were normal. During the flair the throttle was opened to reinstate the engine power. At this point I was aware that I did not have sufficient power to bring the aircraft to a hover. I leveled the aircraft and prepared for a touch down autorotation. Contact with the ground was level but with some forward movement. The grass runway was soft due to recent rainfall and as a result the front of the skids dug into the runway bringing the aircraft to a sudden stop. The helicopter tipped forward with some force resulting in the mast tipping forward and the blade flexing down. As the blade rotated to the rear of the aircraft it came into contact with the tail boom and severed the tail rotor drive shaft. The aircraft did remain upright and level and I was able to perform a normal shut down. We then exited the aircraft to inspect the damage." The Flight Instructor further stated that "I should have opened the throttle prior to the flair in order to give the engine more time to recover before pulling pitch. I was simply late bringing the power back in." The Flight Instructor reported no engine or mechanical malfunction or failures. ## Aircraft - Registration: N100RW (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Bell 206B - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 1360 - Airframe hours: 531 - Engines: Allison C20B 400 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Ocean Helicopters Inc. - Registered owner: Klokkenga Helicopter Leasing, Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, September 1, 2006, 91 hours before - Departed: F45, West Palm Beach, FL - Airport: F45, North Palm Beach County Airpor, runway 8L, 3,700 × 75 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 44; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review March 1, 2007; seat: left; flight hours: 3,180 total, 171 in this make and model, 3,099 as pilot in command, 37 in the last 90 days, 35 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 46; injuries: none; student; last flight review March 1, 2007; seat: rear; flight hours: 49 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 80° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 73 °F - Altimeter: 30.02 inHg - Observed at: PBI 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. --- 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.