- Date
- May 11, 1998, 20:30 local (May 12, 1998, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Alexandria Bay, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8045HHughes 269A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980511037189A
- Case key
- 28297
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain rotor rpm during practice autorotation, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision.
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 pilot was receiving instruction from a flight instructor for the purpose of practicing touchdown autorotations towards attaining his instructor certificate. The pilot said that during the autorotation, the helicopter touched down hard on the left main landing gear. The left skid then separated and the helicopter rolled over to the left. The pilot said there was no mechanical malfunction with the helicopter, and the accident could have been prevented if the flight instructor had taken the controls. He said the instructor was a relatively new instructor. The pilot also stated that the flight instructor might have been hesitant to correct a more experienced pilot. The instructor reported over 440 hours of rotorcraft flight experience including, 41 hours in make and model. The pilot reported over 3,420 hours of rotorcraft flight experience, including 63 hours in make and model. Several attempts were made to contact the instructor without success.
Factual narrative
On May 11, 1998, at 2030 eastern daylight time, N8045H, a Hughes 269-A, was substantially damaged when it landed hard during a practice autorotation at the Maxon Field, Alexandria Bay, New York. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The certificated flight instructor and commercial pilot were not injured. The local instructional flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the commercial pilot, the purpose of the flight was to practice touchdown autorotations toward attaining his instructor certificate. He said that during the autorotation, the helicopter touched down hard on the left main landing gear. The left skid then separated and the helicopter rolled over to the left.
The pilot said there was no discussion how the autorotation should be done. He said, "...entered auto at 60 mph, 1,000 feet. [I] allowed the airspeed to drop to 55 without maintaining rotor rpm. Flare was entered at 50 ft...helicopter fell through possibly to excessive flare resulting in too much of a vertical drop."
The pilot said there was no mechanical malfunction with the helicopter, and the accident could have been prevented if the instructor had taken the controls. He said the instructor was a relatively new instructor. He also stated that the flight instructor might have been hesitant to correct a more experienced pilot.
The pilot reported over 3,420 hours of rotorcraft flight experience, including 63 hours in make and model. The flight instructor reported over 440 hours of rotorcraft flight experience, including 41 hours in make and model.
Several attempts were made to contact the instructor including mailing the pilot/operator report. The report was returned to the NTSB with a note that he was no longer at the address on file with the FAA. There was no forwarding address available.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8045H
- Reported as
- Hughes 269A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 65-18240
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-B1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- North Country Helicopter Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NY01
- Airport
- NY01 · Maxon Field, runway 24, 4,300 × 90 ft, asphalt
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
- 37
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 440 total · 41 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8045H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.