Hughes 269A N7058T

Summary

On 31 August 1997 at about 17:10 local time, a Hughes 269A registered N7058T was involved in an accident near Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 August 1997 at 17:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States

Nearest airport

Council Bluffs Municipal (CBF)

Coordinates

41.2406, -95.8503

Aircraft

Hughes 269A

Registration

N7058T

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI97LA277

2 people were seriously injured.

inadequate supervision by the designated examiner by failing to ensure a timely autorotation recovery was initiated. A related factor was: the student pilot allowed the rotor rpm to diminish after the examiner simulated a loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

A Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE), reported that he was administering a Commercial, Rotorcraft-Helicopter Practical Test to an applicant (student). The DPE instructed the student to perform a 'simulated engine failure' from 450 agl over runway 13, and the DPE initiated the maneuver by reducing the throttle to idle. The student did not respond, and the rotor RPM decreased. After assessing the situation, the DPE took control of the helicopter. He tried to recover from the maneuver by decreasing the collective to the full down position, increasing the throttle, and applying slight forward cyclic. The DPE was unable to recover from the maneuver, and the helicopter impacted in a slight nose low attitude, then it bounced and came to rest on its left side. A witness to the accident said that he saw the helicopter at 50 to 75 feet above the ground before its forward speed stopped and it entered a steep, spiral descent. After reaching the accident site, the witness heard the student ask the DPE what had happened and if something failed. The DPE's response was, 'No...it was me, I failed.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.