Accident Overview
On December 8, 2014, at 1115 mountain standard time, an Enstrom Helicopter, registration N409LH, experienced a total loss of engine power while in cruise flight. The student pilot performed an autorotation to a field. During the landing flare, the helicopter's tail struck the ground, causing the main rotor blades to flex downward and sever the tail rotor boom. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and rotor blades. The student pilot was uninjured.
Flight Details
The helicopter was operated by Mountain One Helicopters under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight on a flight plan. The flight was a solo cross-country flight conducted by a student pilot. It departed from Greeley-Weld County Airport in Greeley, Colorado, and was destined for Platte Valley Airpark in Hudson, Colorado.
Post-Accident Events
Following the accident, the engine was test run by the operator without the knowledge or permission of the National Transportation Safety Board Investigator-In-Charge or the Federal Aviation Administration Inspector assigned to the investigation. The operator stated that the engine was run without any anomalies.