ELMIRA, NY, USA
N6129Q
SCHWEIZER 269C
THE HELICOPTER WAS ON A NEW AIRCRAFT ACCEPTANCE FLIGHT TEST WITH TWO PILOTS ON BOARD. THE LEFT SEAT PILOT REPRESENTED THE PURCHASER AND THE RIGHT SEAT PILOT WAS A COMPANY PILOT AND WAS DESIGNATED PILOT IN COMMAND. THEY WERE PRACTICING A TOUCHDOWN AUTOROTATION. DURING TOUCHDOWN, BOTH PILOTS WERE ON THE CONTROLS AND THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN IN A RIGHT DRIFT AND WITH THE RIGHT SKID LOWER. AT TOUCHDOWN, THE HELICOPTER ROLLED TO THE RIGHT AND CAME TO REST ON ITS SIDE. NO TRANSFER OF CONTROL PROCEDURES HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED BEFORE TAKEOFF. LEFT SEAT PILOT HAD GONE 13 MONTHS WITHOUT PERFORMING TOUCHDOWN AUTOROTATIONS IN THIS TYPE OF HELICOPTER.
AN UNSTABLE TOUCHDOWN WHICH RESULTED IN A ROLLOVER, INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE PIC, AND FAILURE OF THE PIC TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER IN A TIMELY MANNER. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LEFT SEAT PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN TOUCHDOWN AUTOROTATIONS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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