- Date
- May 27, 2011, 08:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Glendale, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N59383Bell 206B3
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110527012299A
- Case key
- 79285
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 certified flight instructor's failure to maintain adequate main rotor RPM during the autorotation.
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 certified flight instructor reported that the purpose of the flight was to demonstrate a variety of maneuvers to the student in the helicopter. Near the end of the flight the instructor demonstrated a power-on autorotation; however, he delayed the application of power and did not have sufficient rotor RPM to recover the helicopter before impacting the ground. Upon ground impact, the helicopter's tail rotor drive shaft and main rotor blades were damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions of failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The certified flight instructor reported that he took off in the helicopter to show a student pilot a demonstration of various maneuvers. Near the end of the flight the instructor demonstrated a power on autorotation but he was late rolling on the throttle and did not have sufficient rotor RPM to recover the helicopter before impacting the ground. Upon ground impact the helicopter's tail rotor drive shaft and main rotor blades were damaged. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions of failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N59383
- Reported as
- Bell 206B3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1150
- Airframe hours
- 14,256
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250C20, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- N57aw LLC
- Registered owner
- N57aw LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Unknown
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 12, 2011
- Departed
- KGEU · Glendale, AZ
- Destination
- KGEU · Glendale, AZ
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- KGEU · Glendale Municipal Airport
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 15, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,353 total · 965 in this make and model · 3,185 as pilot in command · 93 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- KGEU, 13 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 27, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 915 KB 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.
Other investigations on N59383 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.