- Date
- April 20, 2009, 11:22 local (17:22 UTC)
- Place
- Dacono, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N409LHEnstrom 280FX
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20090420003759A
- Case key
- 73698
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the instructor, the student pilot was making a practice autorotation to be followed by a powered recovery in preparation for his taking the private pilot practical test. When power was added, only 2500 rpm (instead of 3050 rpm) were attained. The helicopter slid approximately 2 feet on a rain-soaked field. The skid toes dug into the soft ground, stopping forward movement and causing the fuselage to shift forward. The main rotor blades contacted and severed the tail rotor driveshaft. In addition the tail rotor gearbox, tailboom, and a main rotor blade were damaged. Postaccident examination of the engine and powertrain revealed no anomalies that would have prevented the engine from producing full power.
Factual narrative
According to the instructor, the student pilot was making a practice autorotation to be followed by a powered recovery in preparation for his taking the private pilot practical test. When power was added, only 2500 rpm (revolutions per minute) instead of 3050 rpm was attained. A forced landing ensued and the helicopter slid approximately 2 feet on a rain-soaked field. The skid toes dug into the soft ground, stopping forward movement and causing the fuselage to shift forward. The main rotor blades contacted and severed the tail rotor driveshaft. In addition, the the tail rotor gearbox, tailboom, and a main rotor blade were damaged. Post-accident examination of the engine and power train revealed no anomalies that would have prevented the engine from producing full power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N409LH
- Reported as
- Enstrom 280FX
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2014
- Airframe hours
- 2,822
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-F1AD, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- New Course Aviation Company
- Registered owner
- Family Tree Corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 1, 2009 · 55 hours before
- Departed
- EIK · Erie, CO
- Destination
- EIK · Erie, CO
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 15, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,060 total · 64 in this make and model · 955 as pilot in command · 136 in the last 90 days · 48 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 119 total · 28 in this make and model · 14 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
- Observed at
- EIK, 7 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 4, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N409LH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.