Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Inyokern Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Inyokern, California 93527
Saturday, July 13, 2013 12:40 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During a flight for the purpose of the pilot to acquire the minimum flight hours to act as pilot-in-command, he and a pilot providing training (who was not a flight instructor) of the helicopter were practicing autorotation's from flight to a power recovery. The pilot providing training stated that on the fourth autorotation the pilot allowed the rotor rpm to decay and then froze on the controls, not allowing him to increase the throttle. He was able to level the helicopter; however, it landed hard and the main rotor blades struck and severed the tail boom.
The pilot reported that at the initiation of the maneuver, the pilot providing training rolled the throttle off, and the downwind glide was established. The pilot stated that as he leveled the helicopter and collective was pulled, he realized that the engine was not completely back on line. The pilot providing training subsequently took over the flight controls and flew the helicopter to the ground.
Both pilots reported the need for better verbal commands or stating intentions throughout the maneuver.
Neither pilot reported a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the pilot to maintain aircraft control during a practice autorotation maneuver and the pilot providing training's delayed remedial action which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the lack of communication between the two pilots.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/13/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1240 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Inyokern |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93527 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 353931N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1174946W |
| Event Location Airport | INYOKERN |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | IYK |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 151 |
| Airport Elevation | 2457 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 1130 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | IYK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2457 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 3 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32094 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA AWP Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 20 2013 5:00PM |
| User who most recently changed record | eckd |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N123HP |
| NTSB Number | WPR13CA329 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON |
| Aircraft Model | 206L-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 45394 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SOUTHWEST HELISERVICES LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | TUCSON |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85734-2108 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | SOUTHWEST HELISERVICES LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | TUCSON |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 85734-2108 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | IYK |
| Departure City | Inyokern |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1130 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | IYK |
| Destination City | Inyokern |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 20 2013 5:00PM |
| User who most recently changed record | eckd |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 28 |
| Runway Length | 4150 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |