ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 286460
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Thursday 22 October 2009 |
| Time: | 08:15 LT |
| Type: |  Eurocopter AS 350B3 |
| Owner/operator: | Air Methods |
| Registration: | N105LN |
| MSN: | 3249 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1999 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 6244 hours |
| Engine model: | Turbomeca Arrius 2B1 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Marana, Arizona -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Marana-Pinal Air Park, AZ (MZJ/KMZJ) |
| Marana-Pinal Air Park, AZ (MZJ/KMZJ) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During a practice hovering autorotation the helicopter impacted terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the tailboom. The left seat check pilot who was giving instruction to the right seat pilot reported that a clear, flat area had been identified for hovering autorotation practice. After being briefed by the check pilot, the right seat pilot brought the helicopter up to a 3- to 5-foot hover. The check pilot stated, "I reminded the pilot that he would retard the throttle. [The] aircraft drifted up to less than 10 feet, [and] before I could correct the altitude deviation the [right seat] pilot aggressively retarded the throttle. The aircraft was allowed to settle to approximately 4 feet before the collective pull was initiated, but I was unable to sufficiently arrest the descent." An examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector revealed that the tailboom had been wrinkled as a result of the impact with terrain.
Probable Cause: The improper use of the throttle by the pilot receiving instruction, and the check pilot's inadequate supervision and delayed remedial action, which resulted in the collision with terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB WPR10CA028
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Oct-2022 11:11 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation