AMERICAN EUROCOPTER CORP AS350B3
Grand Praire, TX, July 15, 2014
Event Information
| Date | July 15, 2014 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| Location | Grand Praire, TX |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 32.70000, -97.04806 |
| Airport | Grand Prairie Manicipal |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
| NTSB Number | CEN14CA367 |
| Event ID | 20140716X61901 |
Aircraft
| Make | AMERICAN EUROCOPTER CORP |
| Model | AS350B3 |
| Registration # | N350GP |
| Operator | AIRBUS HELICOPTERS INC |
| Owner | AIRBUS HELICOPTERS INC |
| Category | HELI |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The flight instructor's inadequate supervision during a practice autorotation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's hard landing during a practice autorotation.
Full Narrative
The flight was scheduled as recurrent training in helicopters; the foreign rated pilot was accompanied by a flight instructor, and an interpreter and observer who were seated in the back seats. After a series of maneuvers, the foreign pilot conducted a hovering autorotation, following directions from the flight instructor which were translated by the interpreter. During the autorotation, the helicopter yawed slightly right and settled to the ground. The instructor and observer noted that the landing did not feel that hard, but more like a firm or rough landing. The training flight continued with several other autorotations. During a post flight inspection of the helicopter, several wrinkles were found in the tail boom of the helicopter. Further examination of the helicopter revealed that the tail boom had sustained substantial damage.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.