# Accident 19971226039879A: Robsin R22BETA, Danville, PA, December 26, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 26, 1997, 14:14 local time
- Place: Danville, PA
- Airport: Danville Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Autorot Descent (Rotorcraft)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.9510° N, 76.6298° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.9510&lon=-76.6298&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8015V, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8015V-2017-05-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA (registry code 7640110, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBSIN R22BETA
- Reported engine: LYC O320E2G
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 136 total, 85 in this make and model, 49 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC98LA053](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98LA053) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971226039879A

## Narrative

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

LOST POWER ON CLIMBOUT. YAWNED. LOW RPM LIGHT AND HORN. AUTO ROTATED IN TAILWIND. LANDED IN TREE TOPS. NO ANOMALIES (.4)THE PILOT STATED THE HELICOPTER WAS APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, CLIMBING 300 FEET-PER-MINUTE AT 60 KNOTS AIRSPEED, WHEN HE HEARD THE LOW ROTOR RPM WARNING HORN AND SAW THE CORRESPONDING LOW RPM WARNING LIGHT.  THE PILOT SAID HE ENTERED AUTOROTATION '...WITH A NASTY TAILWIND.'  THE PILOT SELECTED AN OPEN FIELD FOR A FORCED LANDING SITE, DETERMINED HE WOULD OVERSHOOT, BUT CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD INTO TREES.  PRIOR TO ENTERING THE TREES THAT BORDERED THE FIELD, THE PILOT '...ATTEMPTED TO ROLL ON THROTTLE BUT GOT NO RESPONSE.'  ACCORDING TO A MANUFACTURER'S SAFETY NOTICE: 'NO MATTER WHAT CAUSES THE LOW ROTOR RPM, THE PILOT MUST FIRST ROLL ON THROTTLE AND LOWER COLLECTIVE SIMULTANEOUSLY TO RECOVER RPM BEFORE INVESTIGATING THE PROBLEM.'  THE PILOT REPORTED THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL DEFICIENCIES PRIOR TO THE LOW RPM WARNING AND THE ENGINE RAN TO MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATION AFTER THE ACCIDENT.  ACCORDING TO AN ICING PROBABILITY CHART PUBLISHED BY TH                                                                                                             E FAA, ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE CONDUCIVE TO '...SERIOUS ICING AT CRUISE POWER.'

## 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 NYC98LA053](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98LA053), Dec 26, 1997: Robinson R-22 Beta (N8015V), Riverside, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's improper response to the low rotor RPM warning. Factors in the accident were the pilot's failure to turn for the forced landing area and the carburetor icing conditions.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.