Eurocopter AS 350 B2 N406EM

Summary

On 29 April 2012 at about 05:40 local time, a Eurocopter AS 350 B2 registered N406EM, operated by Eagle MED LLC, was involved in an accident near Hugo, Oklahoma, 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 April 2012 at 05:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Hugo, Oklahoma, United States

Nearest airport

Stan Stamper Municipal Airport (HHW)

Coordinates

34.0336, -95.5386

Aircraft

Eurocopter AS 350 B2

Registration

N406EM

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Eagle MED LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hugo → Hugo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN12CA269

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadequate collective control inputs while performing a hovering autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the check airman's delayed remedial action.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A check airman was giving the pilot-in-command (PIC) an annual check ride with night vision goggles in the emergency medical service helicopter. After a satisfactory slope landing, the PIC repositioned the helicopter to a flat area and performed a hovering autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing. The check airman then demonstrated a second hovering autorotation, and the PIC performed another hovering autorotation that was satisfactory. The check airman continued the annual check ride. After the flight, during a post-flight examination, substantial damage was discovered to the tail boom and the aft portion of the fuselage. The damage was consistent with a hard landing, presumably incurred during the first hovering autorotation in which the helicopter landed hard. In a statement provided to the NTSB, the check airman said that he should have guarded the collective more to limit the amount of control input during the practice autorotation maneuvers.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.