CircumFlightN20130 accident
NTSB CEN11CA022 · 2010-10-16 · Englewood, CO · near APA
Docket — crew, injuries and powerplant
Summary
The student pilot was landing the helicopter in a field on his third solo landing of the day. During landing, the helicopter began to yaw and he added engine power in an attempt to correct. The helicopter began to spin and after two to three 360-degree rotations, the student pilot reduced collective input and reduced the engine throttle in an attempt to perform an autorotation from a hover. The helicopter landed hard and came to rest in an upright position. The helicopter’s fuselage sustained structural damage during the mishap. The student pilot reported no malfunctions or defects with the helicopter.
Full narrative
The student pilot, with approximately four hours of solo flight time, was landing the single-engine helicopter in a field. On his third solo landing of the day the helicopter began to yaw. As the student pilot added engine power in an attempt to correct for the yaw, the helicopter started to spin. After two to three 360 degree rotations, the student pilot reduced collective input and rolled off the engine throttle to attempt a hovering auto landing. The helicopter landed hard and came to rest in an upright position. The student pilot shut down the helicopter and was able to exit unassisted. The helicopter’s fuselage sustained structural damage during the mishap. No malfunctions or defects with the helicopter’s controls or other systems were reported.
Probable cause
The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the helicopter during landing. The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident.
Circumstances
- Event type
- Accident
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather conditions
- Visual Meteorological Cond
- Light condition
- Day
- Sky condition
- NONE
- Ceiling (ft)
- 0
- Visibility (sm)
- 10
- Wind direction
- 360
- Wind speed (kt)
- 5
- Temperature (F)
- 54
- Nearest airport
- Centennial Airport
- Distance from field
- 0.0
- Airport elevation
- 5885
Aircraft
| Registration | Make | Model | Damage | FAR part |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N20130 | — | — | SUBS | 091 |
Sequence of events
| # | Occurrence | Phase |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Landing-flare/touchdown Loss of control in flight defining | Cruise |
| 2 | Landing Hard landing | Cruise |