Hughes 369HS N926ES accident near Durango, Colorado

Probable cause

The flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the pilot receiving the instruction and the pilot’s improper recovery from a practice autorotation in shifting wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing.

NTSB analysis

While conducting an instructional flight, the flight instructor reported that the pilot receiving instruction was performing practice autorotations in the helicopter. He stated that wind conditions were light and variable. During the accident practice straight-in autorotation, the pilot receiving instruction stated that he overshot the intended landing point and began slowing the helicopter. As the helicopter slowed to about 30 knots, he then lowered the nose to regain airspeed. He reported that the rotor RPM was on the low side of the green arc and that the airspeed was about 60 knots. During the flare, about 10 ft, both the pilot and flight instructor simultaneously raised the collective in attempt to cushion the landing. However, the helicopter continued to sink and landed hard. The skids collapsed and the helicopter slid about 100 ft before it came to rest upright on the taxiway. The helicopter’s tail boom and one of the main rotor blades separated during the accident sequence. Both the instructor and pilot stated that the wind had shifted opposite to the direction the windsock was indicating at the time of the accident. Wind recorded at the time of the accident was light and variable at 4 knots.

The flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN26LA181 for the full record.