McDonnell Douglas MD-600 N630N
4 November 1996 · Flagstaff, Arizona, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 4 November 1996 at about 15:23 local time, a McDonnell Douglas MD-600 registered N630N was involved in an accident near Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. One person was 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.
The record
- Date
- at 15:23
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
- Nearest airport
- Flagstaff Pullium (FLG)
- Coordinates
- 35.2295, -111.7206
- Aircraft
- McDonnell Douglas MD-600
- Registration
- N630N
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dawn
- NTSB number
- LAX97LA034
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
An uncommanded main rotor blade to tail boom contact due to a 'blowback' phenomena after a successful preplanned autorotation by the pilot to a high density altitude airport with a test aircraft designed at a maximum gross weight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The test pilot made a successful preplanned autorotation to a runway in the test helicopter for certification purposes. The aircraft was operated at a designed maximum gross weight to establish a height velocity curve for future operations in high density altitudes. During the ground slide, the main rotor blades contacted and severed the tail boom. Various combinations of engineering design and the 'blowback' phenomena allowed the retreating main rotor blades to tilt downward and contact the tail boom.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other McDonnell Douglas MD-600 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 May 1996 | McDonnell Douglas MD-600 | Thermal, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jan 2016 | McDonnell Douglas MD-600 | Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan | JSC Aspan | Fatal | 5 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Oct 1996 | Cessna 172C | Mesa, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Oct 1996 | Aero Commander 690 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Sun West Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 17 Oct 1996 | McDonnell Douglas 369E | Mesa, Arizona, United States | MD Helicopter Systems | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Apr 1996 | Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 | Chandler, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Apr 1996 | Cessna 172 | Sedona, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Oct 1996 | Leibert BD-5B | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |