- Date
- July 23, 2013, 11:34 local (18:34 UTC)
- Place
- Lewiston, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N9484FHughes 269B
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130723014809A
- Case key
- 87552
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 pilot's incorrect application of the cyclic control during the landing.
Findings · 2
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 pilot stated that he was conducting a full down practice autorotation which involved landing the helicopter as the final step. During the landing, the helicopter bounced which resulted in the main rotor striking the tail boom, severing the tail rotor drive shaft. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had applied more forward cyclic after the helicopter had contacted the ground. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he was conducting a full down practice autorotation which involved landing the helicopter as the final step. During the landing, the helicopter bounced, which resulted in the main rotor striking the tail boom, severing the tail rotor drive shaft. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had applied more forward cyclic after the helicopter had contacted the ground. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9484F
- Reported as
- Hughes 269B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1160291
- Airframe hours
- 3,883
- Engine
- Lycoming IO360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Odonata LLC
- Registered owner
- Simmons Kent B
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 11, 2013
- Departed
- KLWS · Lewiston, ID
- Destination
- KLWS · Lewiston, ID
- Airport
- KLWS · Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airp, runway 30, 5,000 × 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
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 19, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 241 total · 73 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- KLWS
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 26, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.
Other investigations on N9484F · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.