- Date
- June 24, 2009, 00:30 local (04:30 UTC)
- Place
- Morgantown, WV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N106HNEurocopter AS 350 B2
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 74132
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’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter during the practice hovering autorotation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of experience in night vision goggle helicopter operations.
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
About 1.5 hours after beginning an introductory instructional flight in the use of night vision goggles (NVGs), the pilot and the flight instructor returned to the airport to practice autorotations from a hover. After establishing the helicopter in a 3-foot hover, the flight instructor moved the fuel flow control lever toward the idle cutoff position. The pilot responded by increasing collective pitch, and the helicopter began to ascend, and as a result, the rotor rpm decayed. The flight instructor attempted to apply corrective action, but the pilot physically resisted his efforts. The helicopter descended rapidly to the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the tailboom. The pilot noted that during the maneuver, he had misjudged the helicopter’s height above the ground, due to the decreased peripheral vision afforded by the NVGs. This was the pilot’s first flight operating with NVGs.
Factual narrative
About 1.5 hours after beginning an introductory instructional flight in the use of night vision goggles (NVGs), the pilot and the flight instructor returned to the airport to practice autorotations from a hover. After establishing the helicopter in a 3-foot hover, the flight instructor moved the fuel flow control lever toward the idle cutoff position. The pilot responded by increasing collective pitch, and the helicopter began to ascend, and as a result, the rotor rpm decayed. The flight instructor attempted to apply corrective action, but the pilot physically resisted his efforts. The helicopter descended rapidly to the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the tailboom. The pilot noted that during the maneuver, he had misjudged the helicopter’s height above the ground, due to the decreased peripheral vision afforded by the NVGs. This was the pilot’s first flight operating with NVGs.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N106HN
- Reported as
- Eurocopter AS 350 B2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2818
- Airframe hours
- 8,113
- Engine
- Turbomeca ARRIEL 1SER, 681 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Air Methods Corporation Inc.
- Registered owner
- Ge Business Financial Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · June 23, 2009
- Departed
- MGW · Morgantown, WV
- Destination
- MGW · Morgantown, WV
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- MGW · Morgantown Municipal Airport
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 12, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,869 total · 650 in this make and model · 4,947 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 20, 2009
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,664 total · 147 in this make and model · 2,492 as pilot in command · 72 in the last 90 days · 29 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 17, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 745 KB in all.