19980821021519A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robsin R22 BETA · Ramona, CA · August 21, 1998

Date: August 21, 1998 · 13:10 local
Place: Ramona, CA
Airport: Ramona Airport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N2335Q
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX98LA274
Reported as: Robsin R22BETA
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0

N2335QRegistration cancelled Oct 26, 1998 · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 2154 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETA

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.

Helicopter landed hard, the tail boom broke off, and the rotor sustained damage. (-23) PIC erik giletto, accompanied by student pilot gilad horowitz, had been practicing autorotations at Ramona Airport. Upon entering a 180 degree autorotation, giletto he experienced a nose down attitude and a roll to the right, accompanied by a low rotor RPM warning horn (97%). Giletto states he recovered to a normal autorotative attitude, followed by another nose down, roll to the right reaction, with a rapid rotor RPM reduction (73%). As the helicopter descended with low rotor RPM, giletto's attempt to cushion the landing was unsuccessful; the helicopter contacted the taxiway with a hard impact, causing the left skid landing gear to collapse simultaneous with the main rotor severing the tail boom. The helicopter came to rest on it's left side on the taxiway. Giletto and horowitz were uninjured and there was no post crash fire.

As the FAA filed it

HELICOPTER LANDED HARD, THE TAIL BOOM BROKE OFF, AND THE ROTOR SUSTAINED DAMAGE. (-23) PIC ERIK GILETTO, ACCOMPANIED BY STUDENT PILOT GILAD HOROWITZ, HAD BEEN PRACTICING AUTOROTATIONS AT RAMONA AIRPORT. UPON ENTERING A 180 DEGREE AUTOROTATION, GILETTO HE EXPERIENCED A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND A ROLL TO THE RIGHT, ACCOMPANIED BY A LOW ROTOR RPM WARNING HORN (97%). GILETTO STATES HE RECOVERED TO A NORMAL AUTOROTATIVE ATTITUDE, FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER NOSE DOWN, ROLL TO THE RIGHT REACTION, WITH A RAPID ROTOR RPM REDUCTION (73%). AS THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED WITH LOW ROTOR RPM, GILETTO'S ATTEMPT TO CUSHION THE LANDING WAS UNSUCCESSFUL; THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED THE TAXIWAY WITH A HARD IMPACT, CAUSING THE LEFT SKID LANDING GEAR TO COLLAPSE SIMULTANEOUS WITH THE MAIN ROTOR SEVERING THE TAIL BOOM. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON IT'S LEFT SIDE ON THE TAXIWAY. GILETTO AND HOROWITZ WERE UNINJURED AND THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE.

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 LAX98LA274Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportRamona, CAThe failure of the pilot to maintain rotor rpm while practicing autorotations and subsequent hard landing and roll over.Aug 21, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2335Q · 2

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

Accident 19930123000819APinnacle Landing · Palomar Mtn, CAEncountered high winds and strong downdraft. Low rotor RPM. Unable to recover. Settled in brush and rolled over.Jan 23, 1993 · Substantial damage Accident 19920725027679ASfl Autorotation · Carlsbad, CAStudent allowed rotor RPM decay on practice engine out. CFI slid helicopter onto rough ground. Rotors hit tailboom.Jul 25, 1992 · Substantial damage