- Date
- July 13, 1999, 09:13 local (14:13 UTC)
- Place
- Chesterfield, MO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N911EPHughes OH-6A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990713008949A
- Case key
- 46779
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 pilot-in-command's improper autorotational landing.
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
A rated helicopter pilot was acting as pilot-in-command with a check pilot. According to the check pilot who was interviewed after the accident, the pilot-in-command had accomplished several autorotational landings to a hover and he asked the pilot on the next one to 'demonstrate a full touchdown.' He said that the helicopter landed hard and received damage.
Factual narrative
On July 13, 1999, at 0913 central daylight time, a Hughes OH-6A, N911EP, sustained substantial damage during an autorotational landing to the surface. The pilot and check pilot reported no injuries. The public use flight was operating under provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The local flight departed at 0830.
The flight was for the purpose of the pilot-in-command receiving a check ride from a check pilot (flight instructor). In a verbal statement given to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the check pilot said that the pilot had been practicing various landings including autorotational landings to a hover. He said that on the seventh landing he told the pilot to "demonstrate a full touchdown." He said the helicopter touched down hard and the main rotor blade contacted and cut through the tail boom.
A post accident examination failed to reveal any pre-existent mechanical anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N911EP
- Reported as
- Hughes OH-6A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 591176
- Airframe hours
- 5,072
- Engine
- Allison 250-C10-D, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Registered owner
- St Louis County Police Dept
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 22, 1999 · 49 hours before
- Departed
- SUS
- Airport
- SUS · Spirit Of St Louis
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 268 total · 268 in this make and model · 215 as pilot in command · 88 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SUS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.