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20000503035329I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Robsin R44 · Kissimmee, FL · May 3, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 3, 2000 · 18:30 local
Place
Kissimmee, FL
Airport
Kissimmee Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Tkof-Abort-Copter Vertical
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N981SA
Reported as
Robsin R44
Reported engine
Lycoming O540*
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
20,000 total270 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

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)The helicopter had been cleared for take off at Kissimmee airport and was airborne at a low altitude when the pilot noticed tha the rotor RPM tachometer was indicating 110% which was above the upper limit. The pilot assumed he had a governor failure (after the landing and considering all the possibilities, the pilot stated the problem might have been tachometer failure. The pilot decided to land the aircraft immediately abd performed a running landing onto a large grassy area on the east side of the airport. This grassy area was not smooth and had several ditches running across it. The pilot stated that the helicopter bounced into the air after the first contact with the ground. The second landing attempt was successful. (Note that the helicopter still had forward speed during the landing attempts.) While the helicopter was sliding to a stop, the main rotor blade or blades struck the tail boom slicing its upper portion. The pilot stated that he did not remember his exact control inputs during roll out. Damage was minor. The helicopter manufacturer, Robinson helicopter company, has promised full cooperation and will informed us of the results of the tachometer and ta IL boom inspection.

As the FAA filed it

(-23)THE HELICOPTER HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR TAKE OFF AT KISSIMMEE AIRPORT AND WAS AIRBORNE AT A LOW ALTITUDE WHEN THE PILOT NOTICED THA THE ROTOR RPM TACHOMETER WAS INDICATING 110% WHICH WAS ABOVE THE UPPER LIMIT. THE PILOT ASSUMED HE HAD A GOVERNOR FAILURE (AFTER THE LANDING AND CONSIDERING ALL THE POSSIBILITIES, THE PILOT STATED THE PROBLEM MIGHT HAVE BEEN TACHOMETER FAILURE. THE PILOT DECIDED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY ABD PERFORMED A RUNNING LANDING ONTO A LARGE GRASSY AREA ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE AIRPORT. THIS GRASSY AREA WAS NOT SMOOTH AND HAD SEVERAL DITCHES RUNNING ACROSS IT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER BOUNCED INTO THE AIR AFTER THE FIRST CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE SECOND LANDING ATTEMPT WAS SUCCESSFUL. (NOTE THAT THE HELICOPTER STILL HAD FORWARD SPEED DURING THE LANDING ATTEMPTS.) WHILE THE HELICOPTER WAS SLIDING TO A STOP, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE OR BLADES STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM SLICING ITS UPPER PORTION. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT REMEMBER HIS EXACT CONTROL INPUTS DURING ROLL OUT. DAMAGE WAS MINOR. THE HELICOPTER MANUFACTURER, ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY, HAS PROMISED FULL COOPERATION AND WILL INFORMED US OF THE RESULTS OF THE TACHOMETER AND TA IL BOOM INSPECTION.