Accident McDonnell Douglas MD 500N N955SD,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 299023
 
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Date:Monday 8 May 2000
Time:08:25 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic H500 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
McDonnell Douglas MD 500N
Owner/operator:Los Angeles Co Sheriff's Department
Registration: N955SD
MSN: LN080
Year of manufacture:1995
Total airframe hrs:2802 hours
Engine model:Allison 250-C20
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Los Angeles, CA -   United States of America
Phase: Unknown
Nature:Unknown
Departure airport:Long Beach, CA (KLGB)
Destination airport:
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The flight instructor reported the purpose of the flight was to practice emergency procedures as part of routine intradepartmental training. The training was being conducted in an open field on property owned by the Sheriff's Department. The flight instructor stated that they often utilized the field for flight training purposes, and reported that he had done some training there about 1-week prior. He reported that they performed a high reconnaissance of the field prior to landing and he noted nothing unsuitable about the terrain. A ground survey was not performed prior to the conduct of training flights and landings in the field. The flight instructor stated that he reduced the throttle to ground idle about 10 to 12 feet agl to simulate a total power loss. The pilot trainee was on the controls; he landed the helicopter with no problems. The flight instructor stated that the helicopter slid forward only a few feet, then stopped abruptly. The skids had become entangled in some 18-inch-tall grass and imbedded vines, causing unexpected friction. He stated that the natural tendency to input aft cyclic to stop the aircraft from going over caused the main rotor blades to contact the tail boom.

Probable Cause: The combined failure of the operator management and the check pilot to ensure the landing area was suitable for the slide on landing. Factors were the high vegetation that entangled the skids, resulting in the abrupt stop and nose down movement of the helicopter, and the training pilot's inappropriate response to the nose pitch down.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: LAX00TA186
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 2 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB LAX00TA186

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
16-Oct-2022 01:35 ASN Update Bot Added
30-May-2023 01:26 Ron Averes Updated

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

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