Hughes 269C N428MS

Summary

On 30 July 2007 at about 01:30 local time, a Hughes 269C registered N428MS was involved in an accident near Three Forks, Montana, 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

30 July 2007 at 01:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Three Forks, Montana, United States

Nearest airport

Three Forks (9S5)

Coordinates

45.8781, -111.5692

Aircraft

Hughes 269C

Registration

N428MS

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Three Forks → Three Forks

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA07CA220

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft during autorotation. The flight instructor's inadequate supervision was a factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The instructor reported that during a training flight, while practicing an autorotation, the student began the cyclic flare and the tail of the rotorcraft struck the runway. The power recovery was initiated by the student and the instructor began to assist on the controls. The instructor reported that there was very little tail rotor effectiveness and that the aircraft then began to spin, made contact again with the ground and came to rest on its left side. The pilot reported no mechanical failure or malfunction with the helicopter prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.