# Accident 20071120827139A: Robsin R22BETA, Ramona, CA, November 20, 2007 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 20, 2007, 14:41 local time - Place: Ramona, CA - Airport: Ramona - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Sfl Autorotation - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: 609S - Location: 33.0392° N, 116.9150° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.0392&lon=-116.9150&mi=10 - Aircraft: N463SH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N463SH-2013-06-13) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA (registry code 7640110, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (registry code 42314, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-j2a) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ROBSIN R22BETA - Reported engine: LYC O360J2A - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 920 total, 870 in this make and model, 149 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA08CA032](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA08CA032) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20071120827139A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) INSTRUCTOR PILOT WAS DEMONSTRATING A FLIGHT MANEUVER/AUTOROTATION AND LOST CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT. SEE THE ATTACHED STATEMENT PROVIDED BY THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SUMMARIZING THE EVENT. PILOT STATEMENT: THE FOLLOWING IS AN ACCOUNT OF THE FLIGHT IN N463SH ON NOVEMBER 20TH, 2007. THE STUDENT WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND THE INSTRUCTOR WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AT APPROXIMATELY 1410 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED GILLESPIE FIELD (KSEE) FOR RAMONA AIRPORT (KRNM) TO PERFORM AUTOROTATIONS IN PREPARATION FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CFI EOC CHECK WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. WE CHOSE TO DO AUTOROTATIONS TO TAXIWAY ALPHA BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN USED ON PREVIOUS CHECK RIDES AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD NEVER PERFORMED AUTOROTATIONS TO TAXIWAY ALPHA. WE REQUESTED THE PATTERN AND MADE OUR APPROACH FROM THE SOUTH. WE MADE A NORMAL LANDING AND PERFORMED A RUNNING TAKEOFF. WE ENTERED RIGHT TRAFFIC AND MADE THE FIRST AUTOROTATION AT A FORTY-FIVE DEGREE ANGLE BETWEEN THE TOWER AND THE HANGAR COMPLEX TO THE EAST. WE DISCUSSED THE PROCEDURE AND I INSTRUCTED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO AIM FOR THE A-4 INTERSECTION. I TOLD ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHERE TO ENTER THE AUTOROTATION AND WE DISCUSSED THE MANEUVER WHILE PERFORMING IT. THE ENTRY AND GLIDE PORTIONS WERE GOOD BUT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTROL INPUTS DURING THE FLARE AND RECOVERY WERE NOT AS SMOOTH AS I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED. WE ROLLED THE THROTTLE ON AND PROCEEDED ON THE UPWIND FOR THE NEXT PATTERN. ON THE SECOND AUTOROTATION ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BLED OFF A LITTLE AIRSPEED PRIOR TO THE 100 FOOT CHECK SO WE RECOVERED EARLY AND WENT AROUND. ON THE THIRD ONE I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD DEMONSTRATE WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR IN THE FLARE, BUT HE WOULD PERFORM THE ENTRY AND THE FIRST HALF OF THE GLIDE. I TOOK THE CONTROLS AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AND INSTRUCTED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO REMAIN LIGHT ON THE CONTROLS TO FEEL THE INPUTS AS WE FLARED AND RECOVERED. WE COMPLETED THAT AUTO AND STARTED OUR TAKEOFF ROLL FOR ANOTHER PATTERN. I TOLD ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO EXTEND THE UPWIND TO SET US UP FOR A 180 DEGREE AUTO TO TAXIWAY ALPHA IN CASE THE EXAMINER WANTED HIM TO DEMONSTRATE THE MANEUVER. WE ENTERED THE AUTOROTATION FACING EAST AT 600 FEET AGL AND JUST NORTH OF THE CONTROL TOWER BY COUNTING DOWN FROM THREE. WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A RIGHT TURN TO REALIGN OURSELVES WITH THE TAXIWAY. AS WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 500 FEET THE DESCENT RATE WAS STARTING TO INCREASE BEYOND 700 FPM AND THE AIRSPEED WAS INCREASING BEYOND 70 KIAS. THE NOSE WAS LOW TO ACCOMMODATE THE TIGHT TURN NECESSARY FOR THE REALIGNMENT WITH THE TAXIWAY. THE TIGHT TURN INCREASED OUR DESCENT RATE AND I BEGAN TO APPLY AFT CYCLIC TO SLOW THE DESCENT AS WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 350 FEET APPROXIMATELY. I SIMULTANEOUSLY BEGAN TO ADD UP COLLECTIVE TO KEEP THE ROTOR RPM FROM SPIKING. PASSING THROUGH 300 FEET WE ARE ON RUNWAY HEADING AT APPROXIMATELY 75 KIAS AND A DESCENT RATE OF 1700 TO 1800 FPM APPROXIMATELY. I CONTINUED TO RAISE THE NOSE TO REDUCE DESCENT RATE AND VERY SLIGHTLY LOWERED COLLECTIVE TO BUILD THE ROTOR RPM. AT 200 FEET I NOTICED THE RPM CONTINUING TO DECLINE PASS 95 PERCENT AND THE LOW ROTOR RPM WARNING SYSTEM SOUNDS. I APPLIED MORE AFT CYCLIC TO BUILD RPM AND FURTHER REDUCE OUR DESCENT RATE. I KEEP THE COLLECTIVE STILL BECAUSE I WANT TO KEEP REDUCING OUR DESCENT RATE. THE RPM BEGAN TO RISE PAST 93 UP TO 95 PERCENT AS WE PASS THROUGH 100 FEET AGL AND THE AIRSPEED IS COMING THROUGH 60 KIAS AND SLOWLY DECREASING. AT ABOUT 25 FEET THE RPM IS BETWEEN 90-93 PERCENT AND THE AIRSPEED IS BETWEEN 55-60 KIAS. I REALIZE AT ABOUT TWENTY FEET THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO RUN THE AIRCRAFT ONTO THE TAXIWAY. I APPLIED FULL COLLECTIVE AT APPROXIMATELY TEN FEET AGL AND LEVELED THE SHIP TO TRY AND RUN THE AIRCRAFT ON. WE CONTACTED THE GROUND AT A SLIGHT NOSE LOW ATTITUDE AND I FELT THE HELICOPTER BOUNCE ONCE AND YAW TO THE RIGHT. THERE WAS ALSO A SLIGHT LEFT ROLL. IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO ACCOUNT FOR THE REST OF THE IMPACT SCENARIO. WE CAME TO REST AT THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE TAXIWAY FACING SOUTHEAST AND ON OUR LEFT SIDE. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB SEA08CA032](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA08CA032), Nov 20, 2007: Robinson R22 Beta (N463SH), Ramona, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: An excessive descent rate during a simulated 180-degree power-off autorotation, and the flight instructor's failure to initiate corrective action in time to keep the helicopter from impacting the… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.