AMARILLO, TX, USA
N277SP
HUGHES 500D
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS PRACTICING AUTOROTATIONS. WHEN HE ADDED POWER TO RECOVER FROM HIS EIGHTH AUTOROTATION, HE EXPERIENCED COMPRESSOR STALLS IN THE ENGINE AND A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AT ABOUT 20 FT AGL. THE HELICOPTER SETTLED AND MADE A HARD TOUCHDOWN. DURING TOUCHDOWN, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES FLEXED DOWNWARD AND CHOPPED OFF THE TAIL BOOM. THE ENGINE WAS TRANSPORTED TO A TEST CELL WHERE IT WAS RUN UP IN AN "AS IS" CONDITION. IT OPERATED NORMALLY WITH A POWER OUTPUT OF 4.29% ABOVE THE MINIMUM REQUIRED. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND EXCEPT THERE WAS A MODERATE AIR LEAK FROM THE ANTI-ICE VALVE. THE VALVE WAS REPLACED AND THE ENGINE THEN PRODUCED 5.95% ABOVE THE MINIMUM REQUIRED POWER. THE ENGINE WAS THEN COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLED AND INSPECTED AND ALL PARTS WERE FOUND TO BE IN SATISFACTORY CONDITION. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS ABOUT 5100 FT.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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