- Date
- October 23, 2013, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Eagle Pass, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1CRAmerican Eurocopter AS350B3
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Roll over
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, American Eurocopter Corporation
- FAA report
- 20131023021819A
- Case key
- 88292
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 abnormal contact of the helicopter's skids with the landing surface, which resulted in a rollover.
Findings · 1
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 instructor pilot provided instruction to the private pilot and conducted practice autorotation landings. The instructor pilot demonstrated an autorotation and during the landing the helicopter slid on the skids for about 10-15 feet before the skids dug into the soft landing surface. The helicopter began to pitch nose down so both pilots applied aft cyclic and up collective. The helicopter continued to pitch nose down when the main rotor impacted the ground, which resulted in the helicopter rolling on its right side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades, fuselage, and tail boom. The instructor pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The instructor pilot provided instruction to the private pilot and conducted practice autorotation landings. The instructor pilot demonstrated an autorotation and during the landing the helicopter slid on the skids for about 10-15 feet before the skids dug into the soft landing surface. The helicopter began to pitch nose down so both pilots applied aft cyclic and up collective. The helicopter continued to pitch nose down when the main rotor impacted the ground, which resulted in the helicopter rolling on its right side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades, fuselage, and tail boom. The instructor pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1CR
- Reported as
- American Eurocopter AS350B3 (B3e)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7316
- Built
- 2012
- Airframe hours
- 192
- Engine
- Turbomeca Arriel 2D, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Friedkin Companies Inc
- Registered owner
- Friedkin Companies Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · October 21, 2013
- Departed
- 5TE0 · Eagle Pass, TX
- Destination
- 5TE0 · Eagle Pass, TX
- Airport
- 5TE0 · Comanche Ranch
- Equipment
- Video recording device, Data recorder
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 18, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 7,536 total · 160 in this make and model · 6,969 as pilot in command · 57 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 11, 2013
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 428 total · 363 in this make and model · 390 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KUVA, 41 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 16, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.7 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.