- Date
- March 26, 2016, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Jamestown, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N721RPHughes 369
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 15, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA Fargo FSDO
- FAA report
- 20160326004249A
- Case key
- 92917
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 excessive descent rate while flaring during a practice autorotation with a power recovery, which resulted in an impact with terrain.
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
The pilot reported that he was performing a practice autorotation with a power recovery, and was the sole occupant in the helicopter. He reported that the power was introduced at 200 feet above ground level (AGL) and he entered the flare at too low of an altitude. The tail rotor system impacted the soft ground adjacent to the planned landing area. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom, the tail rotor driveshaft assembly, and the tail rotor system. The pilot verified that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration has published Advisory Circular (AC) 61-140 Autorotation Training (2013). This AC discusses the flare portion for autorotation training and states in part: Every autorotational flare will be different depending on the existing wind conditions, airspeed, density altitude, and the aircraft gross weight. This AC also discusses common errors during autorotation training and states in part: Improper flare (too much or not enough). Flaring too low or too high (AGL).
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was performing a practice autorotation with a power recovery, and was the sole occupant in the helicopter. He reported that the power was introduced at 200 feet above ground level (AGL) and he entered the flare at too low of an altitude. The tail rotor system impacted the soft ground adjacent to the planned landing area. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom, the tail rotor driveshaft assembly, and the tail rotor system. The pilot verified that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration has published Advisory Circular (AC) 61-140 Autorotation Training (2013). This AC discusses the flare portion for autorotation training and states in part: Every autorotational flare will be different depending on the existing wind conditions, airspeed, density altitude, and the aircraft gross weight. This AC also discusses common errors during autorotation training and states in part: Improper flare (too much or not enough). Flaring too low or too high (AGL).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N721RP
- Reported as
- Hughes 369 (D)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 310981D
- Built
- 1981
- Airframe hours
- 18,500.4
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Haverfield International Inc
- Registered owner
- Haverfield International Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 21, 2016
- Departed
- JMS · Jamestown, ND
- Destination
- JMS · Jamestown, ND
- Airport
- JMS · Jamestown Rgnl, runway 04, 5,750 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 20, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,100 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 3,000 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KJMS, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 31, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 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.