Accident Details
On June 23, 2020, at 0935 Pacific daylight time, a Schweizer 269C helicopter, registration N202CC, sustained substantial damage during an accident near Las Vegas, Nevada. The helicopter was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor and the pilot receiving instruction were not injured.
According to the flight instructor, the helicopter was returning to the airport after air work in the training area. At an altitude of 4,000 feet mean sea level, the instructor initiated a simulated engine failure, and the pilot receiving instruction entered an autorotation. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost total power. The flight instructor then assumed control of the helicopter and landed on desert terrain. After touchdown, the helicopter slid forward between 20 and 40 feet. Both occupants egressed and observed that the tailboom had separated.
Examination
Post-accident examination of the helicopter revealed damage consistent with the helicopter rocking forward, then aft, causing the tail to strike the ground. The flight controls were continuous from the cockpit, and there was sufficient fuel onboard. A visual examination and subsequent test run of the engine found no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.