20000202005239A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Robsin R44 · Palo Alto, CA · February 2, 2000

Date: February 2, 2000 · 15:00 local
Place: Palo Alto, CA
Airport: Palo Alto Airport-Santa Clara Cou
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N999EV
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX00LA086
Reported as: Robsin R44

N999EVRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44S/N 0667 · Built 1999 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 Engine modelLycoming O-540-F1B5Reciprocating

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.

(-23) Mr lampert chose not to use carburetor heat during his requested autorotation at Palo Alto airport. When he began the power recovery phase of the approach, the engine failed to respond. As he flared the a/c trying to reduce downward descent and forward speed, the tail rotor contacted the ground, destroying the rotor blades, resulting in a loss of control, causing a hard landing and splitting the skids of the a/c.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) MR LAMPERT CHOSE NOT TO USE CARBURETOR HEAT DURING HIS REQUESTED AUTOROTATION AT PALO ALTO AIRPORT. WHEN HE BEGAN THE POWER RECOVERY PHASE OF THE APPROACH, THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESPOND. AS HE FLARED THE A/C TRYING TO REDUCE DOWNWARD DESCENT AND FORWARD SPEED, THE TAIL ROTOR CONTACTED THE GROUND, DESTROYING THE ROTOR BLADES, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF CONTROL, CAUSING A HARD LANDING AND SPLITTING THE SKIDS OF THE A/C.

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 LAX00LA086Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPalo Alto, CAThe pilot's failure to use carburetor heat, resulting in a loss of engine power, and, his misjudged autorotation approach that resulted in a collision with the ground during the landing flare. Contributing to the accident was the conditions conducive to…Feb 2, 2000 · Substantial damage