Kiowa/Kiowa Warrior/Combat Scout
Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 70; Flight Crew Total 2800; Flight Crew Type 35
Conflict NMAC
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
My CFI and I were on a short final autorotation to runway 5. We made our radio calls from right downwind; base and final. We did not hear any aircraft on final for runway 5. As we descended on our autorotation approaching the runway; a white Cessna 172 came underneath us heading the same direction and landed on runway 5. We made evasive action to the south of the runway and paralleled the Cessna. We identified the airplane as an airplane owned by the local FBO. We landed at our hangar and made a radio call on the local CTAF if anyone had heard the Cessna make a call for final runway 5. No other aircraft on the field heard a radio call of an airplane on final. We shut down our helicopter and drove to the FBO to make contact with the pilot of the Cessna. The pilot of the Cessna was a student pilot that was returning from a failed checkride at another airport. The student admitted that he had his radio tuned to the wrong CTAF frequency. The student also stated that he did not see our helicopter even though he landed with us less than 100 feet above him on runway 5. It was determined that the student pilot was at fault for failing to monitor proper frequency and for failing to see and avoid during landing phase.
A helicopter pilot; performing an autorotation reported narrowly missing a C172 as it passed under on short final. It was discovered later that the C172 student pilot was returning from a failed check ride and was not using the correct CTAF nor did he ever see the helicopter.