Eurocopter AS 350 B2 N106HN

Summary

On 24 June 2009 at about 04:30 local time, a Eurocopter AS 350 B2 registered N106HN, operated by Air Methods Corporation Inc., was involved in an accident near Morgantown, West Virginia, 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

24 June 2009 at 04:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Morgantown, West Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Morgantown Municipal Airport (MGW)

Coordinates

39.6428, -79.9161

Aircraft

Eurocopter AS 350 B2

Registration

N106HN

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Air Methods Corporation Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Morgantown → Morgantown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ERA09CA367

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter during the practice hovering autorotation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of experience in night vision goggle helicopter operations.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

About 1.5 hours after beginning an introductory instructional flight in the use of night vision goggles (NVGs), the pilot and the flight instructor returned to the airport to practice autorotations from a hover. After establishing the helicopter in a 3-foot hover, the flight instructor moved the fuel flow control lever toward the idle cutoff position. The pilot responded by increasing collective pitch, and the helicopter began to ascend, and as a result, the rotor rpm decayed. The flight instructor attempted to apply corrective action, but the pilot physically resisted his efforts. The helicopter descended rapidly to the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the tailboom. The pilot noted that during the maneuver, he had misjudged the helicopter’s height above the ground, due to the decreased peripheral vision afforded by the NVGs. This was the pilot’s first flight operating with NVGs.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.