Robinson R22 N8560M accident near Venice, Florida

Probable cause

The flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during an autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing.

NTSB analysis

The flight instructor was preparing the pilot for her commercial rotorcraft-helicopter practical test. The instructor stated that they were returning to the airport when the engine shut down. The instructor entered an autorotation, which terminated in a hard landing. The instructor stated that he assumed the pilot pulled the mixture control instead of the carburetor heat because he saw it pulled after the helicopter came to a full stop on the ground; however, he never actually saw her pull the mixture control. The pilot stated that the instructor rolled the throttle to idle to simulate an in-flight loss of engine power as part of her checkride preparation. Both she and the instructor were operating the controls for the autorotation. The pilot said she was not sure what happened, but they landed hard and a section of windscreen popped out. She then pulled the mixture to shut off the engine, while the instructor used the rotor brake to stop the main rotor blades. The pilot exited the helicopter to recover the windshield and was subsequently struck in the head by a main rotor blade. Although the instructor's and pilot's accounts varied regarding the events leading up to the autorotation, they both reported that the autorotation ended in a hard landing, and that there were no mechanical issues with the helicopter or the engine that contributed to the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA16LA055 for the full record.