# Accident 19980821021519A: Robsin R22BETA, Ramona, CA, August 21, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 21, 1998, 13:10 local time
- Place: Ramona, CA
- Airport: Ramona Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.0709° N, 116.8299° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.0709&lon=-116.8299&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2335Q, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2335Q-1998-10-26) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA (registry code 7640110, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBSIN R22BETA
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA274) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980821021519A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 LAX98LA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA274), Aug 21, 1998: Robinson R22B (N2335Q), Ramona, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the pilot to maintain rotor rpm while practicing autorotations and subsequent hard landing and roll over.

## Other reports on N2335Q (2)

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

- [Accident 19930123000819A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930123000819A), Jan 23, 1993: Robsin R22BETA (N2335Q), Palomar Mtn, CA, Substantial damage. Encountered high winds and strong downdraft. Low rotor RPM. Unable to recover. Settled in brush and rolled over.
- [Accident 19920725027679A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920725027679A), Jul 25, 1992: Robsin R22BETA (N2335Q), Carlsbad, CA, Substantial damage. Student allowed rotor RPM decay on practice engine out. CFI slid helicopter onto rough ground. Rotors hit 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.

---
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.
