- Date
- August 17, 2004, 18:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- New Hudson, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N631SDEurocopter AS 350 B2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20040817018729A
- Case key
- 60041
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 autorotation performed by the dual student and the delayed remedial action by the certified flight instructor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The public-use instructional flight impacted terrain during a hard landing while practicing autorotations. The private pilot stated the certified flight instructor (CFI) pulled the throttle back and she entered an autorotation. The CFI rolled the throttle back to the full on position. The helicopter was leveled and collective was pulled. The helicopter landed hard. The CFI stated that he noticed an excessive sink rate and he applied the throttle with no response. He applied cyclic to help the private pilot level the helicopter and collective to cushion the landing.
Factual narrative
On August 17, 2004, at 1815 eastern daylight time, a Eurocopter AS B2, N631SD, operated by the Oakland Country Sheriff, impacted terrain while practicing low altitude autorotation near New Hudson, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 public-use instructional flight was not operating on a flight plan. The private pilot and certified flight instructor (CFI) were uninjured. The flight originated from Oakland County International Airport, Pontiac, Michigan, at 1740.
The private pilot stated the CFI pulled the throttle back and she entered an autorotation. The CFI rolled the throttle back to the full on position. The helicopter was leveled and collective was pulled. The helicopter landed hard.
The CFI stated that he noticed an excessive sink rate and he applied the throttle with no response. He applied cyclic to help the private pilot level the helicopter and collective to cushion the landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N631SD
- Reported as
- Eurocopter AS 350 B2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3389
- Engine
- Turbomeca Arriel 1Ser, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Oakland County Sheriff
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PTK · Pontiac, MI
- Destination
- Y47 · New Hudson, MI
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 388 total · 323 in this make and model · 65 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 54
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 23,286 total · 5,789 in this make and model · 211 in the last 90 days · 96 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- PTK, 13 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.