Hughes TH-55 N74914

Summary

On 19 May 2012 at about 21:17 local time, a Hughes TH-55 registered N74914, operated by Steven Tachoir, was involved in an accident near Pittsfield, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was 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

19 May 2012 at 21:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Pittsfield, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Brokeenstraw Airport (P15)

Coordinates

41.8264, -79.3614

Aircraft

Hughes TH-55

Registration

N74914

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Steven Tachoir

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pittsfield → Pittsfield

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12CA357

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control during an encounter with loss of tail rotor effectiveness.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the student pilot, who had about 36 hours total flight time, he had completed a solo flight earlier in the day that included seven takeoffs and landings. After refueling, he completed a local flight and returned to the departure airport, where he initiated an approach that terminated "perfectly" in a normal hover. However, the helicopter then "started spinning to the right," and the spin could not be arrested with full application of left pedal. The pilot stated that he then increased collective pitch and the corresponding increase in engine power aggravated the spin. He then attempted a hovering autorotation, but the helicopter landed hard, rolled over on to its side, and was substantially damaged. A witness described the helicopter as it approached "flying somewhat erratically" about 40 feet above the runway. The helicopter was "twisting" to the left and right as it hovered "shakily" closer to the runway. The helicopter noise increased, the nose pitched up, the main rotors struck the ground, and the helicopter came to rest on its side. A detailed examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A Federal Aviation Administration advisory circular stated that loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE) is a critical, low-speed aerodynamic flight characteristic which could result in an uncommanded rapid yaw rate which does not subside of its own accord and, if not corrected, could result in the loss of aircraft control. Further, any maneuver that required the pilot to operate in a high-power, low-airspeed environment with a left crosswind or tailwind would create an environment where unanticipated right yaw may occur. The nearest weather reporting station, which was located about 19 nautical miles from the accident site, recorded a 7-knot, left quartering tailwind for the landing on runway 9.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.