Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E N8372F accident near Manvel, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper recovery from a practice autorotation which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the instructor’s inadequate supervision of the pilot receiving instruction.

NTSB analysis

During an instructional flight, the operator reported that during the practice autorotation, the pilot receiving instruction held the flare for too long and did not level the helicopter before touchdown. The helicopter landed hard and struck the tail on the ground which resulted in substantial damage to the empennage, tail boom, and tail rotor drive system. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions of failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN24LA377 for the full record.