# NTSB CHI08TA014: Eurocopter AS 350 B2 Ecureuil, N71HP, Columbus, OH, October 9, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Final report - Date: October 9, 2007, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC) - Place: Columbus, OH - Coordinates: 40.068889, -82.067497 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0689&lon=-82.0675&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 22, 2009 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration, Eurocopter - NTSB case key (mKey): 66876 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI08TA014 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/66876/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI08TA014 ## Probable cause The student pilot's excessive descent rate and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, emergency landing - descent - excessive, dual student (cause) - weather condition - gusts - run on landing - encountered, dual student (cause) - terrain condition - rough/uneven (contributing factor) - remedial action - delayed, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) ## Analysis The flight was a training flight primarily to conduct autorotations. During one of the practice autorotations, the student developed an excessive sink rate which the flight instructor was slow to catch. The helicopter executed a run-on landing into a field with uneven terrain. Post flight examination the morning after this flight revealed substantial damage to the helicopter. The wind was 280 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 21 knots at the time of the accident. The flight instructor's safety recommendation was to conduct "Autorotational Training to a Runway or improved surface. ## Factual narrative On October 9, 2007, about 1630 eastern daylight time, N71HP, a Eurocopter AS 350 B2 Ecureuil helicopter, operated by the State of Ohio, sustained substantial damage during an autorotation at the Ohio State University Airport (OSU), near Columbus, Ohio. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The public-use training flight was being conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. No flight plan was on file. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and private pilot receiving instruction reported no injuries. The local flight originated from OSU about 1530. The CFI reported that he flew with three students that day. During the first flight of the day, a hard landing occurred while practicing an autorotation. The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) was set off and post flight inspection revealed no damage. The second flight of the day was conducted and a post flight inspection revealed no damage. The CFI said that the preflight inspection of the helicopter revealed no damage and that: During hovering autorotations we hit the ground hard due to an early and rapid pull of the collective. During all three of these training periods I thoroughly brief the students of how I am going to use a count down method prior to reducing the FFCL (Fuel Flow Control Lever). I announced Engine failure in 3-2-1, at the time I would retard the FFCL. On the first attempt, there was a rapid and early pull of the collective along with excessive right pedal and we hit the ground and bounced. I explained to the student how to correctly execute the maneuver and we continued training. On the second maneuver, the heading control was correct but we hit hard due to an early collective pull and the ELT did go off, I am not sure if I reset it or [the student pilot] did. I felt it wasn't a very hard impact and we continued training. The maneuvers continued to improve, so we moved on to the Hover Taxi Autorotations. During the first two hover taxi autos, again was an early application of the collective to cushion the landing resulting in a hard landing. The last maneuver was perfect. After completing those maneuvers we transitioned in to Standard Autorotations and then to 180 degree turn Autorotations. On the second auto with the rotor rpm was high I instructed [the student pilot] to shallow out his decel ... to maintain the rotor rpm within limits. We cushioned the touch down but due to the lack of time and high rotor rpm I could not make a power recovery and made the decision to continue to the ground. Upon touch down we touched down with minimal impact but slid for approximately 40 feet on uneven terrain rocking side to side and fore and aft until we stopped. I debriefed the maneuver and continued training completing two more 180 autos with turn and then went back to parking to debrief the flight. I failed to complete a post flight and then completed a thorough debrief. The next morning the damage was found during a preflight inspection. At 1653, the recorded weather at OSU was: Wind 280 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 21 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 24 degrees C; dew point 7 degrees C; altimeter 29.90 inches of mercury. The CFI's safety recommendation was to conduct "Autorotational Training to a Runway or improved surface." ## Aircraft - Registration: N71HP (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Eurocopter AS 350 B2 Ecureuil - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 2775 - Airframe hours: 3414 - Engines: Turbomeca 1D1 675 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Public aircraft - state, Part 91 - Registered owner: State of Ohio - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, September 1, 2007 - Departed: OSU, Columbus, OH - Airport: OSU, Ohio State University ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 55; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor, military; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review May 1, 2007; seat: left; flight hours: 2,254 total, 80 in this make and model, 1,520 as pilot in command, 80 in the last 90 days, 28 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours - Pilot; age 32; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review August 1, 2007; seat: right; flight hours: 14,955 total, 1,647 in this make and model, 14,955 as pilot in command, 64 in the last 90 days, 23 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 280° at 15 knots, gusting 21 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 45 °F - Altimeter: 29.89 inHg - Observed at: OSU ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20071009832149A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20071009832149A), Oct 9, 2007: Snias AS350B2, Columbus, OH, Substantial damage. (-23) The aircraft involved in this accident is operated by the Ohio State highway patrol, as a "public use" aircraft, maintained under title 14 CFR, part 91… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.