- Date
- December 1, 2011, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wingate, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N216TVBell 206L-3
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111201028749A
- Case key
- 82441
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 certified flight instructor did not select an adequate landing site for the practice autorotation.
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
The certified flight instructor (CFI) was demonstrating a touchdown autorotation from an altitude of 1,500 feet above ground level to a turf runway. He stated that, during the maneuver, the helicopter's sink rate seemed high, so he continued to pull pitch to arrest the descent rate. The helicopter touched down with a slight forward speed on a downhill slope, and the rear portion of the skids became momentarily stuck in the soft turf. The helicopter pitched forward after breaking loose from the turf, and the main rotor blade contacted the vertical stabilizers and tail rotor drive shaft cover, resulting in substantial damage. The CFI stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) was demonstrating a touchdown autorotation from an altitude of 1,500 feet above ground level to a turf runway. He stated that during the maneuver, the helicopter's sink rate seemed high, so he continued to pull pitch to arrest the descent rate. The helicopter touched down on soft turf with a slight forward speed on a downhill slope. The rear portion of the skids became momentarily stuck in the soft turf. The helicopter pitched forward after breaking loose from the turf, and the main rotor blade contacted the vertical stabilizers and tail rotor drive shaft cover, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N216TV
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 51166
- Airframe hours
- 8,021
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250C30P, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- U S Helicopters Inc
- Registered owner
- U S Helicopters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 22, 2011
- Departed
- N46 · Wingate, NC
- Destination
- N46 · Wingate, NC
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- N46 · US Helicopters Heliport
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
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Flight engineer, Military
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 15, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 15,456 total · 1,400 in this make and model · 8,447 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 7,500 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.32 inHg
- Observed at
- EQY, 10 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 30, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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.