Hughes 269C N5015V

Summary

On 21 July 2001 at about 18:55 local time, a Hughes 269C registered N5015V was involved in an accident near Tracy, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 July 2001 at 18:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Tracy, California, United States

Nearest airport

New Jerusalem (1Q4)

Coordinates

37.6792, -121.2997

Aircraft

Hughes 269C

Registration

N5015V

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Stockton → Tracy

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX01LA255

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's misjudgement of the landing flare during an autorotation demonstration. Factors were shifting winds and an excessive descent rate.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor stated that he was demonstrating an autorotation to his student when the accident occurred. He said that he initiated a straight in autorotation to runway 30 at 600 feet above ground level (agl). The descent rate was stabilized until 200 feet agl, when he felt a sudden increase in the rate of descent. He began the flare at 50 feet agl. He stated that the vertical speed did not decrease at the rate he was accustomed to, resulting in a hard landing. He stated that the tail boom hit the ground first in a right yawing moment. The helicopter then rolled to the right, crushing the right skid, severing the tail boom, and allowing the rotor blades to contact the ground. He noted that no mechanical problems existed with the helicopter during the flight. He did not notice any mechanical anomalies during the autorotation demonstration. He stated that the engine was running normally during the autorotation and the landing flare. The pilot stated that wind shear may have been a factor. He had observed the winds to be from the northwest at 8 knots, and gusts to 12 knots with light turbulence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.