- Date
- May 1, 2013, 08:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hamilton, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N322MHSchweizer 300C
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20130501006319A
- Case key
- 87040
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 failure to maintain helicopter control during a practice autorotation and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
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 reported that during an instructional flight, the helicopter was 500 feet above ground level when he rolled the throttle off with the intent for the student to respond by initiating a straight-in autorotation. The student pilot did not respond properly, so the instructor took the controls to initiate a power recovery. The helicopter subsequently landed hard, deforming both skids and substantially damaging the airframe. The pilot did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that during an instructional flight, the helicopter was at 500 feet above ground level when he rolled the throttle off with the intent for the student to respond by initiating a straight in autorotation. The student pilot did not respond properly, so the instructor took over to initiate a power recovery. The helicopter subsequently landed hard, deforming both skids and substantially damaging the airframe. The pilot did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failure with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N322MH
- Reported as
- Schweizer 300C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- S1786
- Airframe hours
- 2,800
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-01A, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Choice Aviation, LLC
- Registered owner
- Choice Aviation, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 12, 2013 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- 6S5 · Hamilton, MT
- Destination
- 6S5 · Hamilton, MT
- Airport
- 6S5 · Ravalli County Airport, runway 34, 4,200 × 75 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 6, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 9,517 total · 181 in this make and model · 9,336 as pilot in command · 245 in the last 90 days · 93 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 29 total · 29 in this make and model · 19 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 28 °F
- Observed at
- 6S5
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 13, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 660 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.