ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 286860
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| Date: | Saturday 27 June 2009 |
| Time: | 10:45 LT |
| Type: |  RotorWay Exec |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N1934 |
| MSN: | 6294 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 197 hours |
| Engine model: | Rotorway RI 162F |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Waxahachie, Texas -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Midlothian/Waxahachie-Mid Way Regional Airport, TX (KJWY) |
| Midlothian/Waxahachie-Mid Way Regional Airport, TX (KJWY) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The private pilot was conducting a practice 180-degree power recovery autorotation in a helicopter with a clockwise rotating main rotor with a right crosswind of three knots. The pilot said he had a higher than expected rate of descent as he was flaring at zero airspeed and attempting a power recovery to terminate at a skid height of approximately 15 feet above ground level. Suddenly, and without warning the pilot lost directional control, the helicopter began to spin nose left, and his application of full right pedal had no effect. The pilot said he tried to keep the helicopter level while it was spinning, but it eventually impacted on the left side of the taxiway. The helicopter was substantially damaged when the left skid gear partially collapsed and the airframe and tail boom buckled. During the impact sequence the main rotor blades struck the tail boom and the main rotor blades and tail rotor blades struck the ground. An on-scene investigation by an FAA maintenance inspector confirmed flight control continuity and confirmed no apparent damage to the tail rotor drive belts. There was no post-crash fire and the pilot received minor injuries.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to control his rate of descent during autorotation, which required an aggressive recovery maneuver and resulted in a sudden loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CEN09CA394
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Oct-2022 17:14 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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