# NTSB WPR24LA239: Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369, N540HH, Mesa, AZ, July 9, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: July 9, 2024, 09:35 local (16:35 UTC) - Place: Mesa, AZ - Coordinates: 33.395, -111.6501 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3950&lon=-111.6501&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Dynamic rollover](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/231) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 194670 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR24LA239 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194670/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194670 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA239 ## Probable cause The pilot receiving instruction’s failure to maintain helicopter control during autorotation, which resulted in a dynamic rollover. Contributing to the accident was the delayed remedial action from the flight instructor. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [MD Helicopters 369FF, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=3030002), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Action: delayed action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [MD Helicopters 369FF, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md?model=3030002), [All aircraft, 894 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Autorotation: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900); cases with it: [MD Helicopters 369FF, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md?model=3030002), [All aircraft, 1,556 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md) - [Autorotation: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [MD Helicopters 369FF, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md?model=3030002), [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md) - [Autorotation: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [MD Helicopters 369FF, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=3030002), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Dynamic rollover](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/231) (defining event); cases with it: [MD Helicopters 369FF, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/231/sequence.md?model=3030002), [All aircraft, 161 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/231/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor reported that, the pilot receiving instruction entered a smooth and established autorotation. About 75 ft above ground level, the pilot receiving instruction began to slow the helicopter into a near- vertical decent. The flight instructor took the controls, leveled the helicopter, and it then contacted the ground. One of the skids dug into the sand, and the helicopter proceeded to roll over. During the accident sequence, the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom, horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer, and the fuselage. The operator reported that there were no preaccident failures or malfunctions that precluded normal operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N540HH](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N540HH), registered now, S/N 0186FF, built 2012 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER 369 (FF) - Registry model: [MD Helicopters 369FF](https://openairdocs.org/model/md-helicopters-369ff) (registry code 3030002) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rolls-Royce 250-C30](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-250-c30) (registry code 54023, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 0186FF - Year built: 2012 - Airframe hours: 468.5 - Engines: Rolls Royce 250-C30 557 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: MD Helicopters - Registered owner: Bank of Utah Trustee - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: 100 hour, January 18, 2024, 35.9 hours before - Departed: FFZ, Mesa, AZ - Destination: FFZ, Mesa, AZ - Flight plan: Company VFR - Equipment: Electronic multifunction display, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 54; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, waiver time limited special; last flight review March 3, 2024; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 6,000 total, 3,000 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours - Pilot; age 999; injuries: none; flight instructor, foreign; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: unknown, unknown; last flight review June 24, 2024; seat: right; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 172 total, 42 in this make and model, 16 as pilot in command, 21 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 170° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 100 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 29.85 inHg - Observed at: KIWA, 6 nm away - METAR: KIWA 091647Z 17007KT 10SM CLR 38/11 A2985 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20240709008379A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240709008379A), Jul 9, 2024: Md Helicopters Inc 369FF, Mesa, AZ, Substantial damage. Tuesday, July 09, 2024- iic on duty was notified by the roc of an aircraft accident. Received an FAA form 8020-9 describing in b(5), “due to hard landing acft… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 19, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194670. 2.8 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17377859&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120.1(Flat)_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Ip written statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 222 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17378717&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Written_Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 3, PDF, 4 pages, 3 photos, 401 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17377925&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Docket_Photos-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.