- Date
- April 6, 2017, 10:35 local (17:35 UTC)
- Place
- La Verne, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N206SABell 206
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170406003809A
- Case key
- 94967
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 early increased application of the collective during a simulated hovering autorotation, which resulted in a loss of rotor rpm and subsequent main rotor blade strike of the tailboom.
Findings · 3
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 flight instructor in the helicopter reported that he was providing hovering autorotation training to a private pilot. The flight instructor reported that he rolled off the throttle to initiate the maneuver, and the private pilot "raised the collective too soon which resulted in the aircraft climbing." The rotor inertia decayed, and a main rotor blade struck the tailboom after the helicopter struck the ground. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor drive shaft. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor in the helicopter reported that he was providing hovering autorotation training to a private pilot. The flight instructor reported that he rolled off the throttle to initiate the maneuver and the private pilot, "raised the collective too soon which resulted in the aircraft climbing." The rotor inertia decayed and a main rotor blade struck the tailboom after the helicopter struck the ground. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor drive shaft. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N206SA
- Reported as
- Bell 206 (B)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1013
- Built
- 1973
- Airframe hours
- 8,482.1
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250-C20, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Havasu Heli Flights, LLC
- Registered owner
- Havasu Heli Flights, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 21, 2017
- Departed
- POC · La Verne, CA
- Destination
- POC · La Verne, CA
- Airport
- POC · Brackett Field
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 3, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 1,800 in this make and model · 15,000 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 25, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 140 total · 15 in this make and model · 75 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KPOC, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 25, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.