Bell OH-58C N119FT

Summary

On 12 April 2013 at about 23:45 local time, a Bell OH-58C registered N119FT, operated by Maricopa County Sheriffs Department, was involved in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona, 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

12 April 2013 at 23:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Phoenix Deer Valley Airport (DVT)

Coordinates

33.6881, -112.0825

Aircraft

Bell OH-58C

Registration

N119FT

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Maricopa County Sheriffs Department

Operating rule

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Phoenix → Phoenix

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13TA198

Nobody was injured.

The pilot receiving instruction's delay in adding power during a recovery from a practice autorotation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After performing several autorotations in the helicopter during a checkflight, the flight instructor told the pilot to complete the last practice autorotation of the day, which was intended to be a power recovery autorotation. The pilot initiated the maneuver when the helicopter was about 500 feet above ground level (agl) by lowering the collective and rolling the throttle to idle power. As the helicopter descended below 60 feet agl, the flight instructor told the pilot to increase the engine power. The pilot had a delayed response to roll the throttle back to a full power setting. As a result, the low-rotor horn began to sound. The pilot did not believe sufficient time existed for a power recovery; therefore, he decided to perform a full touchdown. The helicopter subsequently touched down hard in soft dirt, and the nose pitched down, resulting in the main rotor blades severing the tailboom. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.