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Helicopter pilot on night supervised solo training flight experiences engine failure and lands in farm field.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 380506 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199709 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : 2v2 |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | other other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 60 |
| ASRS Report | 380506 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
On the first supervised solo to acquire the newly required 5 hours night PIC for the helicopter commercial rating, per far 61, the aircraft experienced a total engine failure. The failure occurred at approximately 500 ft AGL at a position on crosswind leg, just prior to turning onto downwind. A 180 degree automatic rotation to the left was performed into a farm field. There were no injuries and damage was limited to a tail rotor strike. The cause of the engine failure appears to be due to an overheating and failure of the magnetos. A contributing factor is the additional risk due to the new (night flying) far 61 requirement. NTSB was notified by the owner.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: HELI PLT ON NIGHT SUPERVISED SOLO TRAINING FLT EXPERIENCES ENG FAILURE AND LANDS IN FARM FIELD.
Narrative: ON THE FIRST SUPERVISED SOLO TO ACQUIRE THE NEWLY REQUIRED 5 HRS NIGHT PIC FOR THE HELI COMMERCIAL RATING, PER FAR 61, THE ACFT EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ENG FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT APPROX 500 FT AGL AT A POS ON XWIND LEG, JUST PRIOR TO TURNING ONTO DOWNWIND. A 180 DEG AUTO ROTATION TO THE L WAS PERFORMED INTO A FARM FIELD. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO A TAIL ROTOR STRIKE. THE CAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE APPEARS TO BE DUE TO AN OVERHEATING AND FAILURE OF THE MAGNETOS. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THE ADDITIONAL RISK DUE TO THE NEW (NIGHT FLYING) FAR 61 REQUIREMENT. NTSB WAS NOTIFIED BY THE OWNER.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.