McDonnell Douglas Heli 369FF N911BL
24 September 2012 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 24 September 2012 at about 23:00 local time, a McDonnell Douglas Heli 369FF registered N911BL, operated by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, was involved in an accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
- Nearest airport
- North Las Vegas Airport (VGT)
- Coordinates
- 36.2072, -115.1844
- Aircraft
- McDonnell Douglas Heli 369FF
- Registration
- N911BL
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1998
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
- Operating rule
- Public Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Las Vegas → Las Vegas
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR12TA436
People
2 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain sufficient airspeed while performing a 270-degree practice autorotation with a gusting tailwind at a high-density altitude.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot-in-command (PIC), who was giving instruction, was demonstrating a 270-degree autorotation in a gusting west wind at a density altitude of about 5,100 feet. The PIC began the autorotation heading south and turned left; the helicopter experienced a tailwind during the turn. The PIC reported that, because of the tailwind, soon after commencing the autorotation, he increased his bank angle to maintain his ground reference to the intended touchdown point. The pilot receiving instruction stated that, moments later, the helicopter was in a high descent rate, and its airspeed was decreasing. The helicopter impacted terrain in a tail-low attitude. Subsequently, the tailboom separated from the fuselage, the helicopter rolled onto its right side, and the right landing skid folded under the fuselage.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other McDonnell Douglas Heli 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Sep 2012 | McDonnell Douglas Heli 369FF | Decorah, Iowa, United States | Rogers Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 6 Oct 2013 | McDonnell Douglas Heli 369 | Paducah, Texas, United States | Rogers Aviation | Fatal | 1 |
| 31 Jan 2011 | McDonnell Douglas Heli 369FF | Marana, Arizona, United States | Pima County Sheriff's Department | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Aug 2013 | McDonnell Douglas Heli 369FF | Reese, Michigan, United States | Rogers Helicopters Inc | No injuries | - |
| 12 Oct 2009 | McDonnell Douglas Heli 369FF | Fossil, Oregon, United States | Pacific RIM Helicopters LLC | Fatal | 1 |
| 20 Nov 2009 | McDonnell Douglas Heli 369E | Kahuku, Hawaii, United States | K & S Helicopters Inc | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Feb 2012 | Beechcraft S35 | Dixie Valley, Nevada, United States | Danny Lee Urquhart | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 2012 | Schempp-Hirth STANDARD CIRRUS | Sparks, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Mar 2012 | Israel F21-C2 | Fallon, Nevada, United States | Airborne Tactical Advantage Co LLC | Fatal | 1 |
| 3 Oct 2012 | Piper PA-28-180 | Beatty, Nevada, United States | Harris Bernard J JR | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 2012 | Cessna T210M | Wells, Nevada, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Apr 2012 | Unknown aircraft | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | - | Unknown | - |