On June 26, 2002, a Hughes 369D (registration N40AP) was involved in an aviation accident near Jeffersontown, KY. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The flight instructor's loss of lateral control when his foot slipped off the rudder pedal during a power-off, running landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a training flight, a flight instructor simulated an engine failure from a hover. As he performed a running landing, his left foot slipped off the rudder pedal, causing the helicopter's left skid to dig in and the aircraft to roll onto its side.
Incident Summary
A flight instructor was conducting a training session demonstrating a simulated engine failure during takeoff. The maneuver was initiated from a 4-foot hover at an airspeed of about 15 knots. As the helicopter was passing through translational lift, the instructor rolled the power to ground idle.
Sequence of Events
The instructor performed a running landing. Shortly after ground contact, his left foot slipped off the rudder pedal. Subsequently, the helicopter's left skid dug into the ground, causing the helicopter to roll to the left and come to rest on its side.
Instructor's Observation
The flight instructor stated that he believed the helicopter had run over a rut during the running landing, which caused his foot to come off the rudder pedal.