Accident Details
On August 29, 2022, at about 2155 central daylight time, an MD Helicopters 369E (registration N1576F) was substantially damaged during a training accident at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight with a flight instructor and a commercial pilot receiving instruction. Neither occupant was injured.
Maneuver Sequence
The flight instructor reported that he and the pilot receiving instruction were conducting a simulated power recovery autorotation with a 90° turn. The maneuver began at 800 ft above ground level (agl) with an airspeed between 75 and 80 knots. The instructor stated he commanded the throttle while the pilot commanded the cyclic, anti-torque, and collective controls. The instructor reduced the throttle, and the pilot reduced airspeed to about 60-65 knots. At 300 ft agl, the instructor increased engine throttle. The pilot continued the autorotation, flared, and leveled the helicopter about 10 ft agl. The instructor waited for the pilot to increase collective but did not feel the collective control move. He then pulled up on the collective, but the helicopter struck the ground before it could ascend. The helicopter slid to a stop, and the instructor pulled the emergency fuel cutoff to shut down the engine. After exiting, the instructor observed that the tail boom had separated from the helicopter.
Pilot Receiving Instruction Account
The pilot receiving instruction reported setting up for a simulated autorotation with a 90° turn and power recovery. He counted down from 3 to begin. The throttle was rolled to idle, and he lowered the collective and depressed the right pedal. He pitched to maintain 60 knots while making a 90° turn to align with the runway. Rotor speed was maintained by slightly raising and lowering the collective. As the helicopter descended through about 150 ft agl, he began to flare. He felt the throttle increase but did not feel the power increase as in previous autorotations. The helicopter sank fast and struck the runway, skidding to a stop. He noted that the flight instructor pulled the fuel cutoff to stop the engine.
Post-Accident Examination
Examination of the helicopter and a subsequent engine test run in a test cell did not reveal any anomalies that would explain a loss of engine power. The substantial damage included a separated tail boom.