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20031217037759A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Robsin R22 · Denver, CO · December 17, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 17, 2003 · 05:53 local
Place
Denver, CO
Airport
Jeffco Airport
Phase of flight
Aerial Taxi To Tkof/Rtrcrft
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N341MK
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN04LA030
Reported as
Robsin R22
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
306 total205 in this make and model101 in the last 90 days
N341MKRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R22S/N 3470 · Built 2003Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22Engine modelLycoming O-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) Instructor and student pilot were taking off from Jeffco Airport in broomfield Colorado in a Robinson R22 helicopter enroute to scottsdale, AZ. On 12/17/2003 at 05:50 hours. Visual flight rules flight plan had been filed for the cross country flight under title 14 CFR part 91. Weather had been received from Denver flight service station at 05:30 hours as: winds from 260 degrees at 10 knots gusting, scattered clouds 18000 ft. AGL, visibility 25, altimeter 30.20. At approximately 05:hours the helicopter initiated an aerial taxi from the east hangars. During the aerial taxi the helicopter encountered a 35-45 mph gust off wind pushing the helicopter backwards. The PIC tried to lower the nose to gain forward speed but could not. The helicopter crashed going backwards, rolled over, coming to rest on the left side. The windscreen was fragmented, the instrument panel was ripped out of the craft by the rotor blades, the rotor blades were bent down and the tail was bent upwards. According to the METAR (aviation routine weather report) the winds at the time of the crash were from 265 degrees at 30 knots.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT WERE TAKING OFF FROM JEFFCO AIRPORT IN BROOMFIELD COLORADO IN A ROBINSON R22 HELICOPTER ENROUTE TO SCOTTSDALE, AZ. ON 12/17/2003 AT 05:50 HOURS. VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. WEATHER HAD BEEN RECEIVED FROM DENVER FLIGHT SERVICE STATION AT 05:30 HOURS AS: WINDS FROM 260 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS GUSTING, SCATTERED CLOUDS 18000 FT. AGL, VISIBILITY 25, ALTIMETER 30.20. AT APPROXIMATELY 05:HOURS THE HELICOPTER INITIATED AN AERIAL TAXI FROM THE EAST HANGARS. DURING THE AERIAL TAXI THE HELICOPTER ENCOUNTERED A 35-45 MPH GUST OFF WIND PUSHING THE HELICOPTER BACKWARDS. THE PIC TRIED TO LOWER THE NOSE TO GAIN FORWARD SPEED BUT COULD NOT. THE HELICOPTER CRASHED GOING BACKWARDS, ROLLED OVER, COMING TO REST ON THE LEFT SIDE. THE WINDSCREEN WAS FRAGMENTED, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS RIPPED OUT OF THE CRAFT BY THE ROTOR BLADES, THE ROTOR BLADES WERE BENT DOWN AND THE TAIL WAS BENT UPWARDS. ACCORDING TO THE METAR (AVIATION ROUTINE WEATHER REPORT) THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH WERE FROM 265 DEGREES AT 30 KNOTS.

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 DEN04LA030Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBroomfield, COthe flight instructor's failure to maintain aircraft control. Contributing to the accident was the wind gust.Dec 17, 2003 · Destroyed