Eurocopter France AS350B3 N109HP

Summary

On 5 November 2006 at about 17:24 local time, a Eurocopter France AS350B3 registered N109HP was involved in an accident near Apple Valley, 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

5 November 2006 at 17:24

Classification

Accident

Location

Apple Valley, California, United States

Nearest airport

Apple Valley (APV)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Eurocopter France AS350B3

Registration

N109HP

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Apple Valley → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX07TA029

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's improper use of the collective control during a practice hover autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing. A factor in the accident was the certificated flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the maneuver.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter landed hard during a practice hover autorotation. The purpose of the flight was for the commercial pilot to receive training from the certificated flight instructor (CFI). The flight consisted of the commercial pilot performing about five straight-in practice autorotation maneuvers, where the maneuver was performed by initially lowering the collective control. After the flight, the commercial pilot configured the helicopter in a hover taxi to a concrete parking area, where the flight was to terminate. As the helicopter became aligned with the intended parking area it remained in a hover about 3 feet above ground level (agl). The CFI announced "hovering auto" and subsequently rolled the throttle to the idle position. The commercial pilot reacted by abruptly lowering the collective to the down position. As soon as the CFI perceived that the commercial pilot had pushed the collective downward, he attempted to raise it. The helicopter stuck the ground hard in a level attitude. The CFI reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter prior to impact. According to the helicopter's flight manual, the first instruction in an autorotation landing from hover is to "not reduce collective pitch."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.