Summary
On May 06, 2010, a Hughes 500 (N5189K) was involved in an incident near West Palm Beach, FL. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The commercial pilot's improper flare during a simulated autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing.
The certificated commercial helicopter pilot reported that he was practicing autorotations with a certificated flight instructor (CFI). The CFI stated that the first autorotation "went well," and ended with a "nice cushioned landing." During the second autorotation, the commercial pilot flared 100 feet above the ground, and applied cyclic control to cushion the landing. The helicopter "settled abruptly," impacted the taxiway firmly, and bounced. A main rotor blade struck and partially severed the tail boom. No pre-accident mechanical anomalies were noted with the helicopter. The flight instructor had accumulated 1,660 hours of total flight experience, which included 6 hours in the same make and model as the accident helicopter.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA10CA255. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5189K.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The commercial pilot's improper flare during a simulated autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The certificated commercial helicopter pilot reported that he was practicing autorotations with a certificated flight instructor (CFI). The CFI stated that the first autorotation "went well," and ended with a "nice cushioned landing." During the second autorotation, the commercial pilot flared 100 feet above the ground, and applied cyclic control to cushion the landing. The helicopter "settled abruptly," impacted the taxiway firmly, and bounced. A main rotor blade struck and partially severed the tail boom. No pre-accident mechanical anomalies were noted with the helicopter. The flight instructor had accumulated 1,660 hours of total flight experience, which included 6 hours in the same make and model as the accident helicopter. The commercial pilot had accumulated 750 hours of total flight experience, which included 345 hours in the same make and model as the accident helicopter.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA10CA255