Pilot Debrief

MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER 369E near St. Louis, MO — 2021-12-02

Final reportCEN22LA063
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Date
2021-12-02
Location
St. Louis, MO, USA
Airport
SUS
Aircraft
MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER 369E
Registration
N911PH
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to apply power during the recovery procedure for the practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he intended to perform a straight-in autorotation that would terminate with a power on recovery procedure over the runway. The autorotation was performed without incident; however, the pilot did not advance the engine power in time for the recovery. The helicopter impacted the runway hard and came to rest upright on the skids. During the impact sequence, the main rotor blades contacted and severed the tail boom, which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe and engine that would have precluded normal operations.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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