- Date
- September 1, 1994, 22:10 local (Sep 2, 1994, 03:10 UTC)
- Place
- Hurst, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2064JBell 206-L4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 19156
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 certificated flight instructor's inadequate supervision. A factor was the pilot's failure to maintain proper landing alignment.
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
During recurrent training, night autorotations were being conducted. The commercial pilot under instruction was having difficulties keeping the helicopter aligned with the runway prior to touch down. He had completed 3 autorotations with a 180 degree turn. On the fourth autorotation, the helicopter was not aligned. While the instructor pilot attempted to correct the helicopter's alignment, it touched down hard with the nose left of centerline. The tailboom flexed, resulting in wrinkles to the tailboom skin.
Factual narrative
On September 1, 1994, at 2210 central daylight time, a Bell 206- L4 helicopter, N2064J, was substantially damaged during landing near Hurst, Texas. The certificated flight instructor and commercial pilot receiving instruction were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the dark night instructional flight.
In the instructor's pilot/operator report, he stated the pilot was having difficulties keeping the helicopter aligned with the runway prior to touch down. The student had completed 3 autorotations with a 180 degree turn. On the fourth autorotation, the helicopter was not aligned. While the instructor pilot attempted to correct the helicopter's alignment, it touched down with the nose left of centerline. The tailboom flexed, resulting in wrinkles in the tailboom skin.
According to the pilot, the helicopter touched down hard in a level attitude with the nose to the left.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2064J
- Reported as
- Bell 206-L4
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 52028
- Airframe hours
- 509
- Engine
- Allison 250-C30P, 490 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bell Helicopter Textron
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 25, 1994 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- 2F2
- Destination
- 2F2 · TX
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- 2F2 · Bht2 Training Strip, runway 36, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 150 in this make and model · 7,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None