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20000714005639A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Robsin R22 BETA · Lake Piru, CA · July 14, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 14, 2000 · 09:45 local
Place
Lake Piru, CA
Phase of flight
Sfl Autorotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N169CW
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX00LA262
Reported as
Robsin R22BETA
Reported engine
Lycoming O360*
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,750 total3,148 in this make and model260 in the last 90 days
N169CWRegistration cancelled Aug 7, 2017 · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 3002 · Built 1999Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETAEngine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

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) During the flare and level-off while practicing full touchdown autorotations the main rotor severed the tailboom. (.4) on July 14, 2000, at 0945 hours pacific daylight time, a Robinson R-22 beta, N169CW, landed hard and the main rotor severed the tail boom during an autorotation to the ground near Lake Piru, California. The flight instructor and the commercial pilot were not injured. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The purpose of the instructional flight was a preparation for a flight instructor check ride. The helicopter, operated by group three aviation, was being flown under 14 CFR part 91 when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the local area flight. The flight originated at 0810. According to the flight instructor, they were practicing full touchdown autorotations and had completed one prior to this attempt. The flight instructor stated that in the prior autorotation the student had placed the cyclic too FAR forward, and during this attempt the cyclic was moved too FAR back, and the main rotor came into contact with the tailboom assembly. According to the operato r, upon ground contact, the tail boom leveled resulting in tail boom contact with the main rotor in the plain of rotation. The tail boom was severed upon impact with the main rotor.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING THE FLARE AND LEVEL-OFF WHILE PRACTICING FULL TOUCHDOWN AUTOROTATIONS THE MAIN ROTOR SEVERED THE TAILBOOM. (.4) ON JULY 14, 2000, AT 0945 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A ROBINSON R-22 BETA, N169CW, LANDED HARD AND THE MAIN ROTOR SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM DURING AN AUTOROTATION TO THE GROUND NEAR LAKE PIRU, CALIFORNIA. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WERE NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PURPOSE OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS A PREPARATION FOR A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR CHECK RIDE. THE HELICOPTER, OPERATED BY GROUP THREE AVIATION, WAS BEING FLOWN UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT 0810. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, THEY WERE PRACTICING FULL TOUCHDOWN AUTOROTATIONS AND HAD COMPLETED ONE PRIOR TO THIS ATTEMPT. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT IN THE PRIOR AUTOROTATION THE STUDENT HAD PLACED THE CYCLIC TOO FAR FORWARD, AND DURING THIS ATTEMPT THE CYCLIC WAS MOVED TOO FAR BACK, AND THE MAIN ROTOR CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE TAILBOOM ASSEMBLY. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATO R, UPON GROUND CONTACT, THE TAIL BOOM LEVELED RESULTING IN TAIL BOOM CONTACT WITH THE MAIN ROTOR IN THE PLAIN OF ROTATION. THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEVERED UPON IMPACT WITH THE MAIN ROTOR.

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 LAX00LA262Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLake Piru, CAThe improper use of the cyclic control by the pilot under instruction, and the flight instructor's lack of remedial action.Jul 14, 2000 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N169CW · 1

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

Accident 20110830022459ACruise/Level Flight · Dutch Harbor, AKAccording to the airman, he took off from Dutch Harbor Airport to fly back to the bering pacific ranch his employer and owenr of the aircraft. One hour into the flight at approx 300' the engine began sputtering and quit. The airman auto-rotated down but…Aug 30, 2011 · Substantial damage