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CEN23LA404

2023-09-07 · Arcola, Texas, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport AXH

Current FAA registration · N8372F

Make / Model
MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER 369E
Year of manufacture
1991 · 32 years old at event
Engine
ALLISON 250-C20 SER (420 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19910915
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AB74FF

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The instructor’s failure to re-apply engine power during a power recovery after a practice autorotation which resulted in a hard landing.

Factual narrative

During an evaluation flight with a company pilot, the instructor pilot reported that he failed to re-apply engine power prior to the completion of a practice autorotation with a power recovery. During the maneuver, the instructor’s attention was diverted from reapplying engine power by an airplane holding short of the runway near their planned touchdown point. The helicopter subsequently landed hard on the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the tail boom. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions of failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Instructor/check pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Powerplant parameters-Incorrect use/operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_CEN23LA404.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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