- Date
- May 30, 2009, 17:13 local (21:13 UTC)
- Place
- Baltimore, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N298SDHughes 369A
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Landing area overshoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviaiton Administration
- FAA report
- 20090530016499A
- Case key
- 73953
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
The pilot's failure to attain a proper touchdown point, and his decision not to perform a go-around.
Findings · 4
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
The pilot attempted a practice 180-degree autorotation to a grass airstrip during a personal flight. The helicopter overshot the grass airstrip and touched down in an area of uncut grass that contained a tractor tire rut. During touchdown, the helicopter turned sharply to the left and then snap-rolled to the right when the landing gear skid contacted the tire rut. The helicopter sustained damage to the tail boom and rotor blades resulting in substantial damage. The commercial pilot and passenger were uninjured.
Factual narrative
The pilot attempted a practice 180-degree autorotation to a grass airstrip during a personal flight. The helicopter overshot the grass airstrip and touched down in an area of uncut grass that contained a tractor tire rut. During touchdown, the helicopter turned sharply to the left and then snap rolled to the right when the landing gear skid contacted the tire rut. The helicopter sustained damage to the tail boom and rotor blades resulting in substantial damage. The commercial pilot and passenger were uninjured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N298SD
- Reported as
- Hughes 369A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 280332
- Airframe hours
- 4,195
- Engine
- Allison 250-C1B, 320 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pilot
- Registered owner
- Lcs Energy Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 20, 2009
- Departed
- Baltimore, OH
- Destination
- 38OH · Baltimore, OH
- Airport
- 38OH · Industry Air Park, runway 36, 2,550 × 60 ft, grass/turf
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 15, 2009
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,180 total · 370 in this make and model · 2,035 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.81 inHg
- Observed at
- LHQ, 7 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 10, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 376 KB 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 N298SD · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.