Hughes TH-55A N331SD

Summary

On 29 September 2000 at about 19:00 local time, a Hughes TH-55A registered N331SD was involved in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona, United States. 2 people were 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.

Date

29 September 2000 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Phoenix Deer Valley (DVT)

Coordinates

33.6917, -112.0822

Aircraft

Hughes TH-55A

Registration

N331SD

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Phoenix → Phoenix

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Not Reported

NTSB number

LAX00TA355

Nobody was injured.

the flight instructor's misjudged flare during a simulated autorotation, which led to a hard landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The single engine helicopter experienced a main rotor-tail boom strike at the termination of a practice autorotation. The flight instructor reported that he was demonstrating a 180-degree practice autorotation, and said that the entry, airspeed, rate of descent, deceleration, flare, and touchdown were normal. After touchdown he estimated that there was a ground slide of about 5 to 8 feet. As the aircraft stopped, he heard a loud sharp sound that was accompanied by sustained vibration and an uncommanded right yaw of about 30 degrees. After he and the student exited the helicopter, he noted that the main rotor blades had contacted the tail boom, damaging the tail rotor drive shaft, tail boom, as well as all the main rotor and tail rotor blades. The flight instructor stated that he did not perceive any action or inaction on his part that could be construed as detrimental to the safe outcome of the maneuver. According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site and examined the helicopter, there were no signs of mechanical problems that would have contributed to the accident. The flight instructor had accumulated approximately 1,320 hours of helicopter flight time, of which approximately 800 hours were obtained in the same make and model as the accident helicopter.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.