# Accident 19940125000869A: Robsin R22ALPHA, Gaithersburg, MD, January 25, 1994

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 25, 1994, 16:05 local time
- Place: Gaithersburg, MD
- Airport: Montgomery County Arpk Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Autorot Descent (Rotorcraft)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.1697° N, 77.1808° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.1697&lon=-77.1808&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8559A, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8559A-1999-06-24) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R22 ALPHA (registry code 7640104, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-alpha) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBSIN R22ALPHA
- Reported engine: LYC O320B2C
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB BFO94LA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO94LA035) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940125000869A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB BFO94LA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/BFO94LA035), Jan 25, 1994: Robinson R-22A (N8559A), Gaithersburg, MD, substantial damage. Probable cause: THE 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…

## Other reports on N8559A (1)

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

- [Accident 19880827035579A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880827035579A), Aug 27, 1988: Robsin R22ALPHA (N8559A), Gaithersburg, MD, Substantial damage. During practice hover student over corrected with rapid cyclic input. CFI unable to gain control. Chopped tailboom.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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