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19980516009599A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Robsin R22 BETA · San Jose, CA · May 16, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 16, 1998 · 10:48 local
Place
San Jose, CA
Airport
Reid-Hillview Of Santa Clara
Phase of flight
Slope Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2332G
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX98LA160
Reported as
Robsin R22BETA
Reported engine
Lycoming O320B2C
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
5,000 total285 in this make and model
N2332GRegistration cancelled Jan 11, 2018 · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 0521 · Built 1985Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETAEngine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

Practice slope landing. Student pulled full collective on landing. Became airborne. Rotor decay. Impacted. Rolled. (.4)the flight instructor and the commercial rated pilot were practicing slope landings. The student stated that as she set the helicopter down it didn't feel right, and she attempted to abort the landing by pulling in full collective. The helicopter became airborne and the main rotor RPM decreased to the point where the low rotor RPM horn and light were activated. The flight instructor reported that he took the controls and recovered the rotor RPM to 92 percent. He attempted to cushion the landing but the helicopter landed hard on the forward portion of the left skid. The left skid tip impacted the berm and the helicopter rolled onto its left side. There was no report of prior mechanical malfunctions. (-23)instuctor and commercial rated pilot were working on traffic patterns and had made several practice landings on a 10-degree slope. At the time of the accident the student was on the controls and made a normal touchdown, but overreacted by pulling the collective. The helicopter became airborne and the main rotor RPM decreased to the point where the low rotor RPM hron and light were activated. The flight instructor reported that he tool the controls but the helicopter contacted the ground and rolled over.

As the FAA filed it

PRACTICE SLOPE LANDING. STUDENT PULLED FULL COLLECTIVE ON LANDING. BECAME AIRBORNE. ROTOR DECAY. IMPACTED. ROLLED. (.4)THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT WERE PRACTICING SLOPE LANDINGS. THE STUDENT STATED THAT AS SHE SET THE HELICOPTER DOWN IT DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT, AND SHE ATTEMPTED TO ABORT THE LANDING BY PULLING IN FULL COLLECTIVE. THE HELICOPTER BECAME AIRBORNE AND THE MAIN ROTOR RPM DECREASED TO THE POINT WHERE THE LOW ROTOR RPM HORN AND LIGHT WERE ACTIVATED. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT HE TOOK THE CONTROLS AND RECOVERED THE ROTOR RPM TO 92 PERCENT. HE ATTEMPTED TO CUSHION THE LANDING BUT THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD ON THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE LEFT SKID. THE LEFT SKID TIP IMPACTED THE BERM AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE. THERE WAS NO REPORT OF PRIOR MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS. (-23)INSTUCTOR AND COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT WERE WORKING ON TRAFFIC PATTERNS AND HAD MADE SEVERAL PRACTICE LANDINGS ON A 10-DEGREE SLOPE. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE STUDENT WAS ON THE CONTROLS AND MADE A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN, BUT OVERREACTED BY PULLING THE COLLECTIVE. THE HELICOPTER BECAME AIRBORNE AND THE MAIN ROTOR RPM DECREASED TO THE POINT WHERE THE LOW ROTOR RPM HRON AND LIGHT WERE ACTIVATED. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT HE TOOL THE CONTROLS BUT THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED THE GROUND AND 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 LAX98LA160Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSan Jose, CAThe student pilot's failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.May 16, 1998 · Substantial damage