On January 7, 1997, a Hughes 369HS (registration N9089F) was involved in an aviation accident near Wellington, CO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft and his improper autorotation technique that induced the roll and subsequent ground collision. A factor was his lack of recurrent training. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot made a precautionary landing after feeling the helicopter wanted to spin left, then took off again. Control became difficult, and during a landing attempt, the helicopter rolled left and impacted the ground. No pre-existing malfunction was found.
Incident Overview
A helicopter pilot reported that the aircraft wanted to 'spin to the left' during flight. He executed a precautionary landing, monitored engine instruments, and performed hover checks. Finding no anomalies, the pilot took off and climbed to 6,000 feet. Control 'became more difficult' according to the pilot, who decided to land in an open field. When collective pitch was applied, the helicopter rolled left and impacted the terrain.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the wreckage disclosed no evidence of any pre-existing malfunction or failure.
Instructor's Observations
A helicopter flight instructor who assisted the pilot in ferrying the helicopter from Florida to Colorado one month before the accident stated that the pilot 'had no idea what he was doing' and 'was far behind the aircraft.' The instructor noted that the pilot habitually pressed left pedal and either flew in complete circles or in a shallow left skid. Autorotation demonstrations were equally poor, and the instructor told the pilot he 'needed a lot of work.'