ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 356555
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| Date: | Saturday 19 October 1996 |
| Time: | 13:45 LT |
| Type: |  Hughes 369D |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N34CM |
| MSN: | 1194D |
| Year of manufacture: | 1982 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5931 hours |
| Engine model: | Allison 250-C20B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Watkins, CO -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Englewood, CO (APA |
| (KFTG) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The instructor was demonstrating autorotation techniques to his student. He stated at a speed of less than 10 knots, he entered a 'hovering auto(rotation)' to runway 17 from an altitude of 3 feet agl. He estimated the wind to be from 170 degrees at 12 to 15 knots. Recorded wind at Denver International Airport, located 10 miles northwest of the accident site, was from 290 degrees at 12 knots. The helicopter touched down and the main rotor blades struck the tail boom. The pilot said this was a 'fairly common occurrence' with this particular helicopter make and model operating under 'low rotor rpm and gusty wind.' A spokesman for the helicopter manufacturer said that if the helicopter had been landed upwind, the accident would not have occurred. He added that if gusty wind conditions were present, autorotation demonstrations should not have been attempted.
Probable Cause: The flight instructor's improper decision to attempt a hovering autorotation during gusty wind conditions. A factor was the gusty wind.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW97LA021
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Mar-2024 08:26 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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