19940125000869A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robsin R22 ALPHA · Gaithersburg, MD · January 25, 1994

Date: January 25, 1994 · 16:05 local
Place: Gaithersburg, MD
Airport: Montgomery County Arpk Airport
Phase of flight: Autorot Descent (Rotorcraft)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N8559A
NTSB investigation: NTSBBFO94LA035
Reported as: Robsin R22ALPHA
Reported engine: Lycoming O320B2C
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0

N8559ARegistration cancelled Jun 24, 1999 · Robinson Helicopter R22 ALPHAS/N 0468 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 ALPHA

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On departing airport, experienced low RPM warning horn. Tried to recover. Touched runway on left skid and rolled. (.4)the pilot was in the process of being trained to fly helicopters and did not have a helicopter rating. The pilot had accumulated about 19 hours of total helicopter flight time when the accident occurred. He did possess a private pilot fixed wing certificate at the time of the accident. The pilot was performing a supervised solo and was hovering over the runway at the termination of his fourth approach. He said the low RPM light illuminated and he lowered the collective. He lost control of the helicopter and it descended to the runway. The helicopter bounced on both skids and returned to the runway. The helicopter's left skid contacted the runway and the helicopter rolled over.

As the FAA filed it

ON DEPARTING AIRPORT, EXPERIENCED LOW RPM WARNING HORN. TRIED TO RECOVER. TOUCHED RUNWAY ON LEFT SKID AND ROLLED. (.4)THE PILOT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING TRAINED TO FLY HELICOPTERS AND DID NOT HAVE A HELICOPTER RATING. THE PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED ABOUT 19 HOURS OF TOTAL HELICOPTER FLIGHT TIME WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. HE DID POSSESS A PRIVATE PILOT FIXED WING CERTIFICATE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING A SUPERVISED SOLO AND WAS HOVERING OVER THE RUNWAY AT THE TERMINATION OF HIS FOURTH APPROACH. HE SAID THE LOW RPM LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE. HE LOST CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER AND IT DESCENDED TO THE RUNWAY. THE HELICOPTER BOUNCED ON BOTH SKIDS AND RETURNED TO THE RUNWAY. THE HELICOPTER'S LEFT SKID CONTACTED THE RUNWAY AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB BFO94LA035Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGaithersburg, MDThe pilot's failure to maintain rotor RPM which led to an in flight loss of control resulting in a collision with the runway and the helicopter rolling over on its side. A factor in this accident was the pilot's lack of total experience flying helicopters.Jan 25, 1994 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8559A · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19880827035579AHovering · Gaithersburg, MDDuring practice hover student over corrected with rapid cyclic input. CFI unable to gain control. Chopped tailboom.Aug 27, 1988 · Substantial damage