- Date
- May 10, 2013, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Worth, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N2036FBell 206-L4
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130510007049A
- Case key
- 86893
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 flight instructor's inadequate supervision and delayed remedial action during a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing.
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
The pilot receiving instruction was performing a practice right 180-degree autorotation. During the approach, the airspeed decreased to about 40 knots, which shortened the approach angle. At 8 to 10 feet above the ground, the flight instructor advised the pilot to apply forward cyclic while maintaining the collective position. The flight instructor then "used what was left of the rotor rpm to cushion the landing." During the touchdown, the helicopter landed hard, which resulted in structural damage to the tailboom. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot receiving instruction was conducting a practice right 180 degree autorotation. During the approach, the airspeed decreased to approximately 40 knots which shortened the approach angle. At 8 to 10 feet above the ground, the flight instructor advised the pilot to apply forward cyclic while maintaining the collective position. The flight instructor then "used what was left of the rotor RPM to cushion the landing." During the touchdown, the helicopter landed hard, which resulted in structural damage to the tailboom. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2036F
- Reported as
- Bell 206-L4
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 52123
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250-C30P, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Bell Helicopter Customer Training Academy
- Registered owner
- Bell Helicopter Textron Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- AFW · Fort Worth, TX
- Destination
- AFW · Fort Worth, TX
- Airport
- PVT · Private
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 25, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,900 total · 40 in this make and model · 3,500 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,600 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 16, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 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 N2036F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.