- Date
- October 25, 2016, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ponce, PR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N161PDBell OH 58A
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 7, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20161025017069A
- Case key
- 94424
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 helicopter flight instructor's inadequate demonstration of a simulated engine failure, which resulted in a hard landing.
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
During an instructional flight, the helicopter was about 40 to 50 ft above ground level and at 60 knots when the flight instructor intended to demonstrate a simulated engine failure and run-on landing. Although the flight instructor had intended to recover from the maneuver before an actual run-on landing, he noticed that he did not have enough rotor rpm to recover and chose to continue with the run-on landing. The helicopter then landed hard on a taxiway and slid about 300 ft before coming to rest upright. The flight instructor added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the aft engine bulkhead and wrinkles in the helicopter panels near the tailboom and rotor gear box.
Factual narrative
During an instructional flight, the helicopter was at an altitude of 40 to 50 ft above ground level, at 60 knots, when the flight instructor intended to demonstrate a simulated engine failure and run-on landing. Although the flight instructor had intended to recover from the maneuver prior to an actual run-on landing, he noticed that he did not have enough rotor rpm to recover and elected to continue with the run-on landing. The helicopter then landed hard on a taxiway and slid about 300 ft before coming to rest upright. The flight instructor added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the aft engine bulkhead and wrinkles in the helicopter panels near the tail boom and rotor gear box.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N161PD
- Reported as
- Bell OH 58A (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 71-20559
- Built
- 1971
- Airframe hours
- 6,496.8
- Engine
- Rolls Royce T63A720, 4,200 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- None
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 30, 2016
- Departed
- PSE · Ponce, PR
- Destination
- PSE · Ponce, PR
- Airport
- PSE · Mercedita, runway 12, 6,900 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 21, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 2,800 total · 30 in this make and model · 2,500 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 9, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 866 total · 7.5 in this make and model · 721 as pilot in command · 20.3 in the last 90 days · 15.3 in the last 30 days · 3.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- PSE
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 21, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 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.