Schweizer 300 CBI N269HB

Summary

On 13 September 2007 at about 20:58 local time, a Schweizer 300 CBI registered N269HB, operated by Hummingbird Aviation, was involved in an accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 September 2007 at 20:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Nearest airport

Air Lake Airport (KLVN)

Coordinates

44.6278, -93.2281

Aircraft

Schweizer 300 CBI

Registration

N269HB

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Hummingbird Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Minneapolis → Minneapolis

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI07CA299

Nobody was injured.

The dual student's improper flare during the simulated autorotation, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter was damaged during an attempted simulated autorotation with power recovery. The flight instructor and the student pilot were on an instructional flight to practice straight and level, normal approaches and simulated forced landings. The instructor reported that the student completed two successful approaches and one successful autorotation with power recovery. The instructor stated that on the last autorotation the student maintained speed and initiated the flare and held it until the instructor felt the aircraft was too low to hold. The instructor reported taking the controls and pushing the cyclic forward at the same time as the student pilot began to push forward. The instructor reported feeling the impact of the tail rotor and boom, then the aircraft yawed to the right. The instructor stated that the throttle was already closed to idle so the instructor "held the cyclic for a level attitude and prepared to cushion the landing with the collective. [The helicopter] spun around approximately another 390 degrees to the right before the helicopter impacted the runway on the skids collapsing the left side of the landing gear."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.