Event FTW00LA145

Factual narrative

On May 9, 2000, at 1730 central daylight time, a Bell 47G helicopter, N14408, was substantially damaged when it nosed down during a practice autorotation at the Stinson Municipal Airport near San Antonio, Texas. The helicopter was owned by Stinson Flight Center, LLC, and operated by Stinson Air Center, LLC, under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot and the pilot rated student were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local instructional flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated at the Stinson Municipal Airport, at 1700. During a touchdown autorotation, which the flight instructor was demonstrating, the helicopter touched down with forward movement. As the helicopter was sliding along the ground, it suddenly stopped and went up on the toes of the skids before settling back onto the skids. During the event, the main rotor blades struck the tailboom forward of the tailrotor area and severed the tailboom. The operator reported that both main rotor blades, the front skid crossboom, the tailrotor gearbox, and both tailrotor blades sustained damage. The FAA inspector who examined the accident site, reported that the grass area north of runway 9 had minute indentations. During a touchdown autorotation, which the flight instructor was demonstrating, the helicopter touched down with forward movement. As the helicopter was sliding along the ground, it suddenly stopped and went up onto the toes of the skids before settling back onto the skids. During the event, the main rotor blades struck the tailboom forward of the tailrotor area and severed the tailboom Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12