Eurocopter France EC120B N125MG

Summary

On 24 January 2004 at about 21:50 local time, a Eurocopter France EC120B registered N125MG, operated by William K. Riley, was involved in an accident near Jonesboro, Georgia, 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

24 January 2004 at 21:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Jonesboro, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Clayton County - Tara Field (4A7)

Coordinates

33.3931, -84.3333

Aircraft

Eurocopter France EC120B

Registration

N125MG

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

William K. Riley

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Atlanta → Jonesboro

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL04LA070

Nobody was injured.

The instructor's inadequate supervision, and the dual-student's improper flare which resulted in a hard landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The certified flight instructor (CFI) and the dual-student had completed five practice touchdown autorotations without any incident. However, during the accident autorotation, the CFI stated that the dual-student had placed the helicopter in an autorotative descent and his cross-check showed normal rotor RPM indications. At 50 feet above the ground, the in CFI told the student to "progressive decel" and at six feet above ground to "cushion". The dual student pulled additional rear cyclic and the tail stinger struck the ground. As the helicopter rebounded into a nose low attitude the CFI pulled collective and aft cyclic to level the helicopter for touchdown. However, a loud noise was heard after the tail stinger hit the ground and the helicopter rebounded. According to the CFI, during the touchdown phase of the autorotation, the main rotor blades made contact with and severed the tail boom. The helicopter landed and the CFI shut down the engine. The CFI did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter prior to the accident. The FAA Rotorcraft Flying Handbook includes the procedures for a straight-in autorotation. Part of the technique section states that "care must be taken in the execution of the flare so that the cyclic control is not... moved so slowly as to not arrest the descent, which may allow the helicopter to settle so rapidly that the tail rotor strikes the ground." It also states that "extreme caution should be used to avoid an excessive nose high and tail low attitude below 10 feet," to "increase collective pitch, as necessary, to check the descent and cushion the landing,"

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.