- Date
- June 27, 2024, 15:34 local (19:34 UTC)
- Place
- Sanford, FL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N174SCAirbus Helicopters AS350
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Settling with power/vortex ring state
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 194587
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 pilot’s improper maneuvering at low altitude in gusty wind conditions, which resulted in the helicopter entering a vortex ring state, and hard landing during a subsequent autorotation.
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
As part of a law enforcement simulation exercise, the helicopter pilot was orbiting near the departure airport between 200 to 300 ft above ground level, at 20 to 40 knots indicated airspeed. The pilot described that while the helicopter was in a left orbit the airspeed decreased to near 0. At that time, the helicopter began to descend in a vortex ring state (VRS). Due to the low altitude, the pilot was not able to recover from VRS and entered an autorotation to a grass area on the airport. The helicopter subsequently landed hard and came to rest upright in the grass area resulting in substantial damage to the helicopter’s tail boom. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N174SC
- Reported as
- Airbus Helicopters AS350 (B3)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 9349
- Built
- 2023
- Airframe hours
- 402.1
- Engine
- Safran ARRIEL 2D, 952 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Public use
- Operator
- Seminole County Sheriffs Office
- Registered owner
- Seminole County Sheriffs Office
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · June 17, 2024 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- SFB · Sanford, FL
- Airport
- SFB · Orlando Sanford International Airport
- Equipment
- Data recorder, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Video recording device, ADS-B, Auto-pilot
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 16, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 979 total · 934 in this make and model · 912 as pilot in command · 62 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 11 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- SFB, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KSFB 271949Z 29011G20KT 10SM TS FEW055 SCT080 BKN100 32/22 A2988 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT ALQDS TSB43
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 25, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 MB in all.