- Date
- November 23, 2022, 13:07 local (20:07 UTC)
- Place
- Oxford, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N668MHughes 369HS
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20221123021029A
- Case key
- 106366
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 designated pilot examiner’s failure to maintain a proper descent during a practice 180° autorotation which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 2
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
During a checkride with an applicant pilot, the designated pilot examiner was demonstrating a 180° autorotation. The applicant pilot reported the descent was too quick, the examiner flared too low, and the helicopter experienced a hard landing. An airport surveillance video showed the helicopter descend at a rapid rate and impact the runway. The helicopter came to rest on its left side and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom, and main rotor system. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N668M
- Reported as
- Hughes 369HS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 310312S
- Built
- 1971
- Airframe hours
- 9,806.4
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce M250-C20, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Colorado Highland Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 25, 2022
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- DRO · Durango-La Plata County, runway 21, 9,201 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- Check pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 0 total · 0 in this make and model
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KDRO, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KDRO 231953Z AUTO 25012G20KT 10SM CLR 07/M12 A2996 RMK AO2 SLP169 T00671122=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.1 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.