- Date
- May 22, 2017, 15:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- Eden Prairie, MN
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2032SSchweizer 269C
- Defining event
- Landing: Dynamic rollover
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA/ FSDO
- FAA report
- 20170522004649A
- Case key
- 95212
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 student pilot's loss of lateral control while practicing autorotations from a hover and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in a bounced landing and dynamic roll-over.
Findings · 4
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 the student pilot was practicing autorotations from a hover while pointing the helicopter into the wind over tall grass from about 1 ft above the ground. He added that the student "rolled off the throttle, the helicopter descended to the ground, appeared to bounce, moved slightly to the right and began a quick roll to the right." Subsequently, the helicopter pivoted on its right skid, the main rotor impacted terrain, and the helicopter rolled over to the right. The main rotor and windscreen sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor 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 the student pilot was practicing auto-rotations from a hover, while pointing the helicopter into the wind over tall grass, from about 1 foot above ground. He added that the student, "rolled off the throttle, the helicopter descended to the ground, appeared to bounce, moved slightly to the right and began a quick roll to the right." Subsequently, the helicopter pivoted on it's right skid, the main rotor impacted terrain, and the helicopter rolled over to the right. The main rotor and windscreen sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2032S
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C (1)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0107
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 5,773.5
- Engine
- Lycoming HO-360-C1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hummingbird Ventures LLC., doing business as Hummingbird Aviation
- Registered owner
- Weststar Ventures LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 12, 2017
- Departed
- FCM · Minneapolis, MN
- Destination
- FCM · Minneapolis, MN
- Airport
- FCM · Flying Cloud
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 335 total · 185 in this make and model · 214 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 25, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 33 in this make and model · 2,350 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- KFCM
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 20, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.