BELL OH-58C near Phoenix, AZ — 2013-04-12
- Date
- 2013-04-12
- Location
- Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Airport
- DVT
- Aircraft
- BELL OH-58C
- Registration
- N119FT
- Category
- Helicopter
- Highest injury
- None
- Fatalities
- 0
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
Probable cause
The pilot receiving instruction's delay in adding power during a recovery from a practice autorotation.
NTSB narrative
After performing several autorotations in the helicopter during a checkflight, the flight instructor told the pilot to complete the last practice autorotation of the day, which was intended to be a power recovery autorotation. The pilot initiated the maneuver when the helicopter was about 500 feet above ground level (agl) by lowering the collective and rolling the throttle to idle power. As the helicopter descended below 60 feet agl, the flight instructor told the pilot to increase the engine power. The pilot had a delayed response to roll the throttle back to a full power setting. As a result, the low-rotor horn began to sound. The pilot did not believe sufficient time existed for a power recovery; therefore, he decided to perform a full touchdown. The helicopter subsequently touched down hard in soft dirt, and the nose pitched down, resulting in the main rotor blades severing the tailboom. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Analysis
- Primary failure mode
- Human factors
- First missed decision gate
- Pilot should have initiated power recovery earlier in the maneuver.
NTSB coding
Evidence available
- 1 docket document