# NTSB CEN10CA352: Aerospatiale AS350, N191EH, Lake Charles, LA, June 26, 2010 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: June 26, 2010, 10:15 local (15:15 UTC) - Place: Lake Charles, LA - Coordinates: 30.206388, -93.139167 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.2064&lon=-93.1392&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Emergency descent](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/600) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Autorotation: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 20, 2010 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Baton Rouge FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 76459 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN10CA352 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/76459/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=76459 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10CA352 ## Probable cause The flight instructor’s inadvertent entry into ground resonance when demonstrating a hydraulic failure running landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the helicopter. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's and instructor pilot's failure to control the drift and rate of descent during the practice maneuvers. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: descent rate](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 242 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) - [Action: incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,386 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md) - [Action: lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 792 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md) - [Action: lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 792 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,506 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Ground resonance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/232); cases with it: [All aircraft, 21 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/232/sequence.md) - [Other: Aircraft inspection event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050); cases with it: [All aircraft, 229 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050/sequence.md) - [Autorotation: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Abnormal runway contact](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,506 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor was preparing the commercial-rated pilot for a check ride in the helicopter equipped with skid-type landing gear. During one of three running landings to a touchdown, the flight instructor was demonstrating a practice hydraulic failure running landing and the helicopter started to get into ground resonance as he initially touched down. The flight instructor increased power to become briefly airborne and continued the maneuver to a normal practice hydraulic failure running landing. After the ground resonance experience, the flight instructor continued the flight training session for an additional 45 minutes and conducted another hydraulic failure running landing, several slope landings, and five hovering autorotations. Two of the hovering autorotations were described as rough, with an undesired drift to the front left. The flight instructor then left the airport where they had been practicing and returned to their home base airport where they conducted two straight-in autorotations and three 180-degree autorotations, all to a power recovery. After shut-down procedures were completed the two pilots were surprised when they discovered substantial damage, with buckling around the full circumference of the forward part of the tail boom and a crack in the skin at the 6 o’clock position. The flight instructor stated that he thought the damage occurred when they were conducting hovering autorotations. The two pilots reported that they were not injured. ## Factual narrative The flight instructor was preparing the commercial rated pilot for a check ride in the helicopter equipped with skid type landing gear. During one of three running landings to a touchdown, the flight instructor was demonstrating a practice hydraulic failure running landing and the helicopter started to get into ground resonance as he initially touched down. The flight instructor increased power to become briefly airborne and continued the maneuver to a normal practice hydraulic failure running landing. After the ground resonance experience, the flight instructor continued the flight training session for an additional 45 minutes and conducted another hydraulic failure running landing, several slope landings, and five hovering autorotations. Two of the hovering autorotations were described as rough, with an undesired drift to the front left. The flight instructor then left the airport where they had been practicing and returned to their home base airport where they conducted two straight in autorotations, and three 180-degree autorotations, all to a power recovery. After shut-down procedures were completed the two pilots were surprised when they discovered damage to the helicopter. The helicopter was substantially damaged with buckling around the full circumference of the forward part of the tail boom and a crack in the skin at the 6 o’clock position. The flight instructor stated that he thought the damage occurred when they were conducting hovering autorotations. The two pilots reported that they were not injured. ## Aircraft - Registration: N191EH (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: AEROSPATIALE AS350 (B2) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 2505 - Airframe hours: 8980 - Engines: TURBOMECA Arriel 1 732 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: ERA Helicopters LLC, doing business as ERA Helicopters - Registered owner: ERA Helicopters LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, June 8, 2010, 90 hours before - Departed: LCH, Lake Charles, LA - Destination: LCH, Lake Charles, LA - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: CWF, Chennault International Airpor, runway 15, 10,701 × 200 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 30; injuries: none; commercial; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review October 4, 2009; seat: left; flight hours: 2,383 total, 655 in this make and model, 2,258 as pilot in command, 45 in the last 90 days, 23 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours - Pilot; age 48; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane, helicopter; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; seat: right; flight hours: 4,185 total, 6 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 90 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 30.02 inHg - Observed at: CWF ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20100626043479A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100626043479A), Jun 26, 2010: Aerospatial AS350 B2 EC, Lake Charles, LA, Substantial damage. Instructor and student were performing hover autorotations at kcwf airport. During one of the hover autorotations thet apprently made a hard landing and… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2010, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=76459. 3.0 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 3.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40334536&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF 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.