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| Date: | Monday 8 February 2021 |
| Time: | 16:30 LT |
| Type: |  MD Helicopters MD 500E (369E) |
| Owner/operator: | Md Helicopters, Inc. |
| Registration: | N7032V |
| MSN: | 0553E |
| Year of manufacture: | 2000 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 7805 hours |
| Engine model: | Rolls-Royce 250-C20B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Mesa-Falcon Field Airport, AZ (FFZ) -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Mesa-Falcon Field Airport, AZ (FFZ) |
| Mesa-Falcon Field Airport, AZ (FFZ) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The helicopter flight instructor reported that the intent of the flight was to perform autorotation training. With the foreign rated pilot at the flight controls, he noted a nose-high attitude while performing an autorotation. The touchdown was not hard or aggressive but when the helicopter rotated forward on the ground, the main rotor blades flexed down and impacted the tail boom. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot's improper pitch attitude for landing and the inadequate supervision of the flight instructor, resulted in the main rotor blades impacting the tail boom.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB WPR21LA109
FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/Search/NNumberResult
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N7032V
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Feb-2021 21:15 | Geno | Added |
| 06-Jul-2022 14:50 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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