- Date
- September 22, 2014, 15:05 local (20:05 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Forks, ND
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N1675USchweizer 269C
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20140922017309A
- Case key
- 90130
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 tail rotor strike.
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 180-degree autorotation. Just prior to touchdown, the flight instructor perceived an abrupt loss in altitude, followed by a hard landing and tail rotor strike, which substantially damaged the tail rotor. The flight instructor reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot receiving instruction was performing a practice 180-degree autorotation. Just prior to touchdown, the flight instructor perceived an abrupt loss in altitude, followed by a hard landing and tail rotor strike, which substantially damaged the tail rotor. The flight instructor reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1675U
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- S1878
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 3,590
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO 360, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- University of North Dakota
- Registered owner
- University of North Dakota
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 2, 2014
- Departed
- GFK · Grand Forks, ND
- Destination
- GFK · Grand Forks, ND
- Airport
- GFK · Grand Forks Intl
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
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 2, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,804 total · 1,173 in this make and model · 3,595 as pilot in command · 83 in the last 90 days · 33 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 17, 2014
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 259 total · 81 in this make and model · 52 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- GFK
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 230 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 N1675U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.