No fatalities

10 Mar 2018: HUGHES 269 A — SKYPRO INDUSTRIES INC — Jacksonville, FL

Jacksonville, FL, United States

On 10 Mar 2018, a HUGHES 269 A operated by SKYPRO INDUSTRIES INC was involved in an aviation accident near Jacksonville, FL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain rotor rpm during a practice autorotation, which resulted in ground contact and a dynamic rollover. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A helicopter pilot reported entering a practice autorotation and intending to terminate to a hover. During the flare, rotor RPM decayed; after collective increase and throttle addition, the helicopter yawed right, rolled left, and struck terrain, leading to dynamic rollover.

Accident Overview

A helicopter pilot was performing a practice autorotation with the intent to terminate the maneuver to a hover. During the flare phase, the pilot allowed the rotor RPM to decay. Subsequently, the pilot increased collective and added power using the throttle. The helicopter's nose yawed to the right, and simultaneously the fuselage rolled to the left.

Sequence of Events

The pilot applied left pedal in response to the yaw and roll, but the left skid struck rising terrain. This impact caused the helicopter to enter a dynamic rollover. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor drive system and the tail rotor drive system.

Pilot Statement

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotProp/rotor parameters — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome