CORONA, CA, USA
N9297F
HUGHES 269C
THE DUAL STUDENT PILOT WAS PERFORMING PRACTICE AUTOROTATIONS AT REDUCED ENGINE RPM WITHOUT THE USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT. ON THE FOURTH AUTOROTATION THE ENGINE SUSTAINED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. THE CFI ASSUMED THE CONTROLS AND CONTINUED WITH THE AUTOROTATION. WHEN THE HELICOPTER WAS BETWEEN 7 TO 10 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND THE CFI APPLIED UP COLLECTIVE WITHOUT CORRECTING FOR THE INCREASED TORQUE (ROTOR PITCH INCREASE). THE HELICOPTER MADE AN ABRUPT LEFT TURN AND LANDED HARD CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE SKIDS AND TAIL BOOM ASSEMBLY. THE ENGINE OPERATED NORMALLY WHEN THE HELICOPTER WAS RECOVERED FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE PREVAILING TEMPERATURE WAS 94 DEGREES F AND THE DEW POINT WAS 63 DEGREES F. ACCORDING TO THE FAA ICING PROBABILITY CHART THE CARBURETOR WAS SUSCEPTIBLE TO CARBURETOR ICING AT GLIDE POWER.
THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S IMPROPER SUPERVISION OF THE FLIGHT; THE DUAL STUDENT PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE CARBURETOR HEAT; AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S IMPROPER USE OF THE TAIL ROTOR PEDALS. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO CARBURETOR ICING.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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