ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 296327
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| Date: | Tuesday 24 December 2002 |
| Time: | 10:50 LT |
| Type: |  Hughes 369D |
| Owner/operator: | Pathfinder Helicopters Inc. |
| Registration: | N8366F |
| MSN: | 27-0082D |
| Year of manufacture: | 1977 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 9406 hours |
| Engine model: | Allison 250-C20B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Boise Airport, Boise, ID -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Boise Airport, ID (BOI/KBOI) |
| Boise Airport, ID (BOI/KBOI) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The commercial pilot, who had 900 hours PIC flight time in the make/model, and an FAA check pilot, who had 40 hours PIC flight time in the make/model, departed on a Part 135 check flight in the McDonnell Douglas (Hughes) 369D rotorcraft. After returning to the Boise airport, the commercial pilot (examinee in the left seat) transferred control of the aircraft to the check pilot (right seat) who then demonstrated a simulated 180-degree autorotation. After the check pilot rolled off power, the GEN OUT caution light illuminated followed by the ENG OUT warning light. The check pilot noted rotor RPM in the green but decelerating engine RPM, and the commercial pilot reported that he felt the check pilot's flare was premature. The rotorcraft landed hard during which time the main rotor blades flexed down impacting and severing the tailboom. Post-crash examination revealed that the left and right seat throttle/collective controls to the engine fuel control unit had been misrigged, and a test run of the engine confirmed a flameout condition when the right seat throttle was retarded to the idle position. A review of the rotorcraft's maintenance log showed that the right seat controls had been installed two days previous and signed off as "all rigging found to be within limits." The McDonnell Douglas MD500D Rotorcraft Flight Manual discusses throttle rigging in the Normal Procedures Section noting that a throttle rigging check must be performed prior to autorotation training, and the check must be performed on both left and right seat throttle controls if dual controls are installed. The Rotorcraft Flight Manual also provided a warning that "Misrigging of the throttle control may result in inadvertent flameout during rapid closing of the twistgrip to the ground idle position."
Probable Cause: The failure of the operator's maintenance personnel to properly rig the left/right seat twistgrip throttles to the engine fuel control, the pilot in command's failure to adhere to the rotorcraft flight manual, and the check pilot's premature flare during the autorotation resulting in a hard landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB SEA03LA021
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Oct-2022 19:16 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
| 16-Sep-2023 12:12 | Ron Averes | Updated |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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