On August 23, 1999, a Hughes 269B (registration N44KH) was involved in an aviation accident near Russellville, AR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The improper touchdown by the flight instructor. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During autorotation practice, a flight instructor reported engine power loss after initiating the maneuver. The helicopter touched down hard, causing main rotor blades to sever the tailboom. Subsequent engine run showed no power loss duplication.
Incident Details
A flight instructor was practicing an autorotation that terminates with power, intending to land on a sod area between a taxiway and runway. According to the instructor, after he lowered the collective and reduced the throttle to idle to initiate the autorotation, the engine lost power. The helicopter subsequently touched down hard in a nose-high attitude. During the landing, the main rotor blades contacted the tailboom, severing it approximately 24 inches forward of the tail rotor gearbox. The helicopter then rotated about 160 degrees to the left and came to a stop upright.
Post-Incident Inspection
An FAA inspector conducted an engine run following the incident. The run was completed without any duplication of the power loss reported by the instructor.