Eurocopter AS350 N545HF

Summary

On 23 October 2025 at about 04:00 local time, a Eurocopter AS350 registered N545HF, operated by Haynes Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Wetumpka, Alabama, United States. 3 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

23 October 2025 at 04:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Wetumpka, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Wetumpka Municipal Airport (08A)

Coordinates

32.5167, -86.3167

Aircraft

Eurocopter AS350

Registration

N545HF

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2006

Engines

1

Operator

Haynes Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wetumpka → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA26LA026

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper recovery from a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the pilot receiving instruction.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and flight instructor were conducting training exercises in a helicopter at night using night vision goggles. The exercises included four autorotation landings from a hover, each initiated about 4 ft above ground level. The pilot reported that during the second autorotation landing, following the flight instructor’s reduction of power, he reacted prematurely and inadvertently increased the helicopter’s height above the ground, which resulted in a hard landing. Unaware that the helicopter had been damaged, the remainder of the training flight was completed uneventfully. The following day, during a preflight inspection, another flight crew discovered substantial damage to the tail boom. The pilot and the flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.