# Accident 19991025033699A: Robsin R22MARINER, West Boca Raton, FL, October 25, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 25, 1999, 17:20 local time - Place: West Boca Raton, FL - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Sfl Autorotation - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 26.3802° N, 80.1693° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.3802&lon=-80.1693&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2285Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2285Z-2000-01-11) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R22 MARINER (registry code 7640115, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-mariner) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ROBSIN R22MARINER - Reported engine: LYC O320B2C - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 844 total, 841 in this make and model, 228 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL00LA003](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL00LA003) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991025033699A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON 10-26-99 AT ABOUT 1720 EDT, A ROBINSON R22, N2285Z, REGISTERED TO VALLY AVIATION INC. AND OPERATED BY VOLAR HELICOPTERS INC., LANDED HARD AND FLIPPED OVER WHILE ATTEMPTING A LEFT 180 DEGREE AUTOROTATION MANEUVER WHILE ON A 14 CFR 141 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE COMMERCIAL RATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES WHILE THE PRIVATE PILOT RATED STUDENT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM FT. LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE AIRPORT ON 10-26-99. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD THE STUDENT PERFORM A LEFT 180 DEGREE AUTOROTATION FROM 500 FEET. AS THEY ROLLED OUT HE SAW THAT THEY WERE CLOSE TO THE GROUND, HE TOOK OVER FROM THE STUDENT TO TRY AND RECOVER, HE LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT AND ADDED POWER, THE HELICOPTER HIT THE GROUND, SPRUNG UP AND THE MAIN ROTOR CUT OFF THE TAIL BOOM AND THE A/C SPUN AROUND AND CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE HELICOPTER. (.4) THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND HIS STUDENT WERE PRACTICING 180-DEGREE AUTOROTATION LANDINGS. PRIOR TO INITIATING THEIR LAST AUTOROTATION TO THE LEFT, THEY CLIMBED TO 500 FT. AGL. THE STUDENT WAS AT THE CONTROLS AND BEGAN A STEEPER TURN IN AN ATTEMPT TO REACH THE AIMING SPOT, AND THE HELICOPTER ENTERED A SLIGHT DIVE. AS THE STUDENT ROLLED OUT TO BEGIN THE FLARE, THE HELICOPTER WAS BELOW 100 FT. AGL. THE INSTRUCTOR THEN TOOK CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER. HE PUSHED FORWARD TO LEVEL THE HELICOPTER, THEN ROLLED THE THROTTLE AND TRIED TO PULL UP ON THE COLLECTIVE. THE HELICOPTER HIT THE GROUND IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE, THEN BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN. DURING THE IMPACT SEQUENCE, THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEVERED. THE HELICOPTER THEN SPUN THREE OR FOUR TIMES AND LANDED ON ITS LEFT SIDE. ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR, THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE HELICOPTER. ## 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 ATL00LA003](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL00LA003), Oct 25, 1999: Robinson R-22-MARINER (N2285Z), West Boca Raton, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight instructor's delayed response in taking remedial action during a practice autorotation. Factors were his inadequate planned approach and his improper use of powerplant controls. ## Other reports on N2285Z (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19870805043059A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870805043059A), Aug 5, 1987: Robsin R22 (N2285Z), Burrville, RI, Substantial damage. Engine failure at 200 ft. autorotation into water. Aircraft went over on its back. Cause indicates fuel exhaustion. - [Incident 19870714075369I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870714075369I), Jul 14, 1987: Robsin R22 (N2285Z), Modena, PA. Landed safely in a parking lot to avoid sudden thunderstorm development. - [Incident 19860729065979I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19860729065979I), Jul 29, 1986: Robsin R22MARINER (N2285Z), Derry, NH, Minor damage. Float equipped aircrafts tail rotor struck water after solo student misjudged altitude. 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.