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| Date: | Monday 6 November 2023 |
| Time: | 11:00 LT |
| Type: |  MD Helicopters MD530F Cayuse Warrior |
| Owner/operator: | MD Helicopters |
| Registration: | N369FF |
| MSN: | 0709FF |
| Year of manufacture: | 2009 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 12950 hours |
| Engine model: | ROLLS-ROYC 250-C30 |
| 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: | En route |
| 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 |
During a proficiency flight, the pilot was demonstrating an autorotation, and the nonflying pilot was following on the flight controls. While holding the flare to land, an excessive amount of aft cyclic was abruptly applied, and the tailskid and tail rotor contacted the ground. The pilot leveled the helicopter and completed the autorotation. The helicopter spun about 90° to the right before it came to a stop. The tail rotor assembly, tail boom, horizontal and vertical stabilizers, and tail rotor drive shaft couplings sustained substantial damage.
The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain a proper autorotation profile during deceleration that resulted in the tail rotor assembly impacting the ground.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB WPR24LA028
https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/N369FF
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Nov-2023 20:58 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 14-Nov-2023 16:23 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Category, Accident report, ] |
| 01-Jul-2024 08:36 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 01-Jul-2024 08:39 | ASN | Updated [Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
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