Hughes 269C N9658F

Summary

On 1 July 2016 at about 20:10 local time, a Hughes 269C registered N9658F, operated by Wallace State College, was involved in an accident near Cullman, Alabama, 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

1 July 2016 at 20:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Cullman, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Cullman Rgnl-Folsom Field (CMD)

Coordinates

34.2675, -86.8586

Aircraft

Hughes 269C

Registration

N9658F

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1971

Engines

1

Operator

Wallace State College

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cullman → Cullman

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA363

Nobody was injured.

The helicopter flight instructor candidate's improper execution of the autorotation, resulting in abnormal ground contact and subsequent damage to the vertical stabilizer and tail rotor drive assembly.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter flight instructor reported that the commercial pilot rated/helicopter flight instructor candidate receiving instruction was practicing autorotations with power recovery to the runway; during a practice 180 degree autorotation, the flight instructor candidate executed the landing flare too low to the ground resulting in a tail rotor strike. The flight instructor further reported that he took the controls and landed the helicopter after it had yawed, un-commanded to the right, about 180 degrees.  The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and tail rotor drive assembly. The flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.  The FAA Helicopter Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-21A (2012) discusses procedures for autorotation and states in part: Care must be taken in the execution of the flare so that the cyclic control is neither moved rearward so abruptly that it causes the helicopter to climb nor moved so slowly that it does not arrest the descent, which may allow the helicopter to settle so rapidly that the tail rotor strikes the ground… extreme caution should be used to avoid an excessive nose high and tail low attitude below 10 feet. The helicopter must be close to the landing attitude to keep the tail rotor from contacting the surface.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.