Hughes 369D accident near Taylorsville, Kentucky, April 29, 2001
On April 29, 2001 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N50AP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Taylorsville, Kentucky. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the flight instructor's inadequate aircraft control during a practice autorotation which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 2001 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Taylorsville, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N50AP · registry record · serial 585D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and commercial pilot were practicing autorotations. On the fourth maneuver, the flight instructor was demonstrating an autorotation that would terminate with a full touchdown. The flight instructor reported that he began the maneuver at 800 feet agl, and initiated the deceleration about 50 feet agl. About 10-15 feet agl, he leveled the helicopter and began the descent to touchdown. When collective was to be applied, the pilot felt a forward pressure on the cyclic, and a tendency for the helicopter to nose down. He reacted by centering the cyclic. When the collective reached 50 percent of travel, the pilot realized that the rate of descent was greater than normal. He applied more collective and advanced the throttle in an attempt minimize the rate of descent, but landed hard in a tail low attitude. The accident was videotaped by a witness. Review of the videotape revealed that the helicopter appeared to stop its descent about 20-25 feet agl and assume a tail low attitude. The helicopter descended, landed on the tailskid, then the aft portion of the main landing gear skids. When the tailskid contacted the ground, the tail boom fractured. The tail assembly was then struck by a main rotor blade, and the helicopter rocked forward on the main landing gear skids, and the left strut failed. Examination of the helicopter revealed there were no mechanical deficiencies.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,710 hours in all; 650 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 7,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 2, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,556.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 14, 2001; 56.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Louisville KY at 10:30 pm
- Destination: NONE Taylorsville KY
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from LOU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.