- Date
- July 3, 1994, 14:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- West Jordan, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9029FHughes 369HS
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 26, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940703017819A
- Case key
- 41965
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot not maintaining a proper descent rate and his delayed remedial action.
Analysis
During a practice autorotation, a high descent rate developed. The instructor pilot added power but the helicopter still landed hard enough to substantially damage the helicopter.
Factual narrative
On July 3, 1994, at about 1430 hours mountain daylight time, a Hughes 369HS helicopter, N9029F, made a hard landing during a practice autorotation at Salt Lake City Airport #2. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local training flight. The helicopter was substantially damaged, but neither the pilot or the flight instructor were injured.
The pilot reported that he was preparing for a part 135 check ride and was practicing autorotations with the company check pilot. An autorotation was started at about 500 to 600 feet above the ground. At about 100 to 150 feet above the ground, the instructor pilot realized that they were descending too fast.
He added power to slow their descent but the helicopter landed hard, damaging the skids and the tail boom.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9029F
- Reported as
- Hughes 369HS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 890105E
- Airframe hours
- 7,785
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Scenic Helicopters
- Registered owner
- H & W Enterprises
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 23, 1994 · 32 hours before
- Airport
- U42 · Salt Lake City Muni #2, runway 34, 6,098 × 100 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
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,084 total · 74 in this make and model · 986 as pilot in command · 61 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.