NTSB Identification: MIA00LA092.
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Accident occurred Wednesday, February 16, 2000 in HAZELHURST, MS
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/04/2000
Aircraft: Kitchens REVOLUTION MINI 500B, registration: N460AK
Injuries: 1 Serious.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.At an altitude of about 200 feet agl the pilot attempted a practice auto rotation into a field. According to the pilot he lowered the collective, at a forward speed of 60 mph. He then reduced the throttle. He said, '...I think I was already in trouble when I began the auto rotation from such a low altitude...[and] I also don't thing that I had the collective all the way down because...the rotor rpms apparently began to bleed down without my noticing it...at about 50 feet agl I flared...then leveled and started pulling collective. The helicopter started violently shaking...which...indicates that the rotors were trying to stall from too low rpms...I couldn't stop my decent...I don't think I powered back up with the throttle...I hit the ground fairly violently...the helicopter...roll[ed] onto its left side...and the helicopter finally came to a stop about 30 yards from the point of initial impact.' Examination of the wreckage revealed no mechanical discrepancies. According the FAA's report, the pilot '...failed to perform the autorotation correctly and impacted the earth.'
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
the pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during a practice autorotation, by allowing the rotor rpm to become inadequate to cushion the touchdown, which resulted in a hard landing, and subsequent roll over. Full narrative availableIndex for Feb2000 | Index of months