Narrative:

In oct 1988 I conducted a 135.293 .297 and .299 checkride on comm and near the completion of the checkride the crosstube failed on the helicopter during a simulated single engine landing. The flight portion began normally and we were performing the last instrument approach (ILS18) when I simulated a #2 engine failure and had pilot fly the approach single engine. At the outer marker we received permission to land on the right side of runway 18 in the grass. The single engine approach appeared normal but on touchdown the aircraft had a rapid deceleration. I initiated up collective and brought the #2 engine back to operating RPM. Near the end of the ground run out I felt an unusual sensation in the rear crosstube area. I was unsure what had occurred so I had pilot pick the aircraft up to a hover. When everything stabilized I asked pilot to set the aircraft down gently so I could get out of the aircraft and inspect the landing gear. As the collective neared the downstop the landing gear gave way, pilot and I pulled the aircraft back to a hover and notified tower we needed to reposition to phi without advising them of our maintenance problems. They gave us permission to reposition to phi so we hover on the right side of runway 18 behind the fixed base operators near the airport boundary fence. When we got to phi we climbed over the boundary fence, crossed a roadway and landed at phi after a mechanic and other pilots placed pallets and old tires on the helicopter for us to land on. I shut the aircraft down without further incidents. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states structural damage probably caused by previous hard landing sometime back when doing single engine practice. No way to detect because all internal damage. Still investigating situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG GEAR COLLAPSE.

Narrative: IN OCT 1988 I CONDUCTED A 135.293 .297 AND .299 CHECKRIDE ON COMM AND NEAR THE COMPLETION OF THE CHECKRIDE THE CROSSTUBE FAILED ON THE HELI DURING A SIMULATED SINGLE ENGINE LANDING. THE FLIGHT PORTION BEGAN NORMALLY AND WE WERE PERFORMING THE LAST INSTRUMENT APPROACH (ILS18) WHEN I SIMULATED A #2 ENGINE FAILURE AND HAD PLT FLY THE APPROACH SINGLE ENGINE. AT THE OUTER MARKER WE RECEIVED PERMISSION TO LAND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF RWY 18 IN THE GRASS. THE SINGLE ENGINE APPROACH APPEARED NORMAL BUT ON TOUCHDOWN THE ACFT HAD A RAPID DECELERATION. I INITIATED UP COLLECTIVE AND BROUGHT THE #2 ENGINE BACK TO OPERATING RPM. NEAR THE END OF THE GND RUN OUT I FELT AN UNUSUAL SENSATION IN THE REAR CROSSTUBE AREA. I WAS UNSURE WHAT HAD OCCURRED SO I HAD PLT PICK THE ACFT UP TO A HOVER. WHEN EVERYTHING STABILIZED I ASKED PLT TO SET THE ACFT DOWN GENTLY SO I COULD GET OUT OF THE ACFT AND INSPECT THE LANDING GEAR. AS THE COLLECTIVE NEARED THE DOWNSTOP THE LANDING GEAR GAVE WAY, PLT AND I PULLED THE ACFT BACK TO A HOVER AND NOTIFIED TWR WE NEEDED TO REPOSITION TO PHI WITHOUT ADVISING THEM OF OUR MAINT PROBLEMS. THEY GAVE US PERMISSION TO REPOSITION TO PHI SO WE HOVER ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF RWY 18 BEHIND THE FIXED BASE OPERATORS NEAR THE AIRPORT BOUNDARY FENCE. WHEN WE GOT TO PHI WE CLIMBED OVER THE BOUNDARY FENCE, CROSSED A ROADWAY AND LANDED AT PHI AFTER A MECHANIC AND OTHER PILOTS PLACED PALLETS AND OLD TIRES ON THE HELI FOR US TO LAND ON. I SHUT THE ACFT DOWN WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATES STRUCTURAL DAMAGE PROBABLY CAUSED BY PREVIOUS HARD LNDG SOMETIME BACK WHEN DOING SINGLE ENGINE PRACTICE. NO WAY TO DETECT BECAUSE ALL INTERNAL DAMAGE. STILL INVESTIGATING SITUATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.