What happened
A flight was being conducted to provide a private pilot with a practical flight evaluation for a commercial pilot certificate. During the cruise phase of the flight, the FAA designated pilot examiner (Dope) initiated a simulated engine failure to the pilot.
During this maneuver, neither pilot monitored the engine RPM. Consequently, both occupants failed to notice that the engine had actually stopped producing power following the examiner's reduction of the throttle. Because the engine was not producing power, the rotor RPM decayed during the pilot's attempt at a powered recovery. This decay resulted in a reduced glide distance and left the aircraft without sufficient rotor RPM to provide an adequate cushion for touchdown.
Findings
The investigation revealed that the pilot did not perform specific checks or callouts during the simulated emergency. The pilot did not verbalize an intended point of touchdown, nor did he crosscheck engine RPM until attempting the powered recovery from the autorotation. The examiner confirmed that the applicant was not required to check specific parameters, such as confirming engine idle RPM, during his response to the simulated failure. Following the accident, the engine was found to start and run continuously without interruption.