N851HW

On May 11, 2000, at 1334 hours mountain standard time, a Eurocopter AS350B2, N851HW, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona. The helicopter was being operated by Rocky Mountain Helicopters, Provo, Utah, as an instructional flight under 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial rated certified flight instructor, commercial rated pilot trainee, and commercial rated passenger were not injured. The local area flight originated at Falcon Field at an unspecified time. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.

The flight instructor reported that he was giving flight instruction to a new-hire pilot in preparation for his 14 CFR Part 135 check ride. Another new-hire pilot was seated in the back to observe the training. The pilot trainee was performing a hydraulics-off, run-on landing. As the student approached the touchdown point the instructor reminded him to keep his airspeed up. He reported that just prior to touchdown, the aircraft controls became very stiff. At that point, the flight instructor directed the pilot trainee to re-engage the hydraulics isolation switch on the collective control. The student re-engaged the hydraulics but reported that the controls remained stiff and he was having difficulty applying forward cyclic. As the instructor got on the controls it started a slow turn to the left. As the instructor attempted to counteract the turn rate increased. The helicopter impacted the ground in a left turn with rear lateral movement. The landing gear skids collapsed.

The operator, Rocky Mountain Helicopters, failed to respond to several attempts by the Safety Board to file an aircraft accident report, form 6120.1/2.