Hughes 369 N969VS

Summary

On 10 May 2024 at about 20:25 local time, a Hughes 369 registered N969VS, operated by Vertol Systems Co Inc, was involved in an accident near Crestview, Florida, 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

10 May 2024 at 20:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Crestview, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Bob Sikes (CEW)

Coordinates

30.7776, -86.5203

Aircraft

Hughes 369

Registration

N969VS

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1980

Engines

1

Operator

Vertol Systems Co Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA215

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing and the main rotor blades contacting the tail boom.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

On the day of the accident, the pilot had been practicing autorotations. The first was a power-on autorotation to the ground, followed by two hovering autorotations, all of which were uneventful. The pilot then briefed and set up for a power off autorotation to the ground. The entry began at 600 ft above ground level (agl) and the glide was normal. He set up a 70-knot glide speed and added collective to keep the rotor at 480 rpm. The helicopter was heavy with fuel and the added pilot-rated passenger, so the decent was faster than anticipated. The pilot reported that at 40 ft agl, he accomplished an “auto-rotative flare attitude” and that the “flare was not aggressive enough for the weight,” and as a result, he held the flare longer than usual. The ground speed bled off, but the leveling of the helicopter was not accomplished in a timely manner. The tail skid contacted the ground hard and the main rotor blades flexed down resulting in contact with the tail boom and the fuselage behind the rotor head. The helicopter’s tailboom and main rotor blades were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanic malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.