- Date
- January 20, 1988, 15:38 local (21:38 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Prairie, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5800FAerospatiale AS-355-F1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880120018769A
- Case key
- 22621
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acdt occurred on the 2nd flt of transition trng for an experienced helicopter plt. The trng on this flt included sim tail rotor failure run-on landings. The CFI demonstrated 2 landings and the trainee took the controls for the 3rd. The landings were being made in the grass beside a paved rwy. During the landing slide the front of the skids dug in and the helicopter pitched forward. The trainee pulled up on the collective and aft on the cyclic whereupon the helicopter rocked backwards and the tail struck the ground. The helicopter became airborne; however, the CFI detected vibration and unusual noise and announced 'tail rotor failure'. An emergency landing was completed with no additional damage or injuries.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5800F
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale AS-355-F1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 5191
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20F, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Era Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Era Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- F67
- Destination
- F67
- Airport
- F67 · Grand Prairie
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,200 total · 1,600 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DFW, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.