- Date
- August 3, 1992, 16:13 local (21:13 UTC)
- Place
- Monroe, LA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N501FHHughes 369HS
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920803028769A
- Case key
- 18548
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 pilot's failure to maintain adequate rotor RPM during autorotation. Factors were the tailwind and the power loss for undetermined reasons.
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 purpose of the flight was to track the main rotor system. The departure was to the southeast and the winds were from the west at 5 knots. During the initial climb at approximately 100 feet AGL and approximately 35 knots airspeed, a total loss of power occurred. The pilot initiated an autorotation to the grass abeam a runway. During the flare the pilot did not maintain adequate rotor RPM and the helicopter landed hard, collapsing the skid gear and severing the tail boom. The engine was test run at the manufacturer's facility with no anomalies noted. Additional tests on the engine's related systems did not reveal the reason for the loss of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N501FH
- Reported as
- Hughes 369HS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 810338S
- Airframe hours
- 8,857
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Coffman, Leslie R.
- Registered owner
- Coffman, Leslie R.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 3, 1992 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- MLU
- Airport
- MLU · Monroe Regional
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
- 43
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 11,700 total · 240 in this make and model · 10,900 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.