- Date
- March 20, 2011, 14:39 local (18:39 UTC)
- Place
- Mount Pocono, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N153HTSchweizer 269C-1
- Defining event
- Landing: Dynamic rollover
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110320003319A
- Case key
- 78614
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 flight instructor's selection of an unsuitable landing site to practice autorotations, which resulted in an inadvertent dynamic rollover during touchdown.
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
The certified flight instructor (CFI) stated that during a local training flight, the helicopter was at a hover and he reduced power to simulate an engine failure. He said that upon ground contact, the aft portion of helicopter's left skid sank into the mud, the helicopter began to roll to the left, and he attempted corrective action for a dynamic rollover. However, the helicopter rolled over on to its left side resulting in substantial damage to the main rotor blades and fuselage. The CFI and student pilot both stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) stated that during a local training flight, the helicopter was at a hover and he "rolled off power" to simulate an engine failure. According to the CFI, upon ground contact, the aft portion of helicopter's left skid "sank into the mud," the helicopter began to roll to the left, and he attempted corrective action as taught for a dynamic rollover. However, the helicopter rolled over on to its left side resulting in substantial damage to the main rotor blades and fuselage. The CFI and student pilot both stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N153HT
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0240
- Airframe hours
- 1,766
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-G1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hi-Tech Helicopters Inc
- Registered owner
- Hi-Tech Helicopters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 17, 2011 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- MPO · Mount Pocono, PA
- Destination
- MPO · Mount Pocono, PA
- Airport
- MPO · Pocono Mountains Municipal Air
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 5, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 205 total · 190 in this make and model
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 33 total · 33 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.45 inHg
- Observed at
- MPO, 8 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 13, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.