# Incident 20000503035329I: Robsin R44, Kissimmee, FL, May 3, 2000

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 3, 2000, 18:30 local time
- Place: Kissimmee, FL
- Airport: Kissimmee Municipal Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Tkof-Abort-Copter Vertical
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.2836° N, 81.4090° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at KISSIMMEE (FA17), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.2836&lon=-81.4090&mi=10
- Aircraft: N981SA (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: ROBSIN R44
- Reported engine: LYC O540*
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 20,000 total, 270 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000503035329I

## Narrative

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

(-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.

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.

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