# Incident 20090710047559I: Robinson He R22 BETA, Pompano Beach, FL, July 10, 2009

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 10, 2009, 12:45 local time
- Place: Pompano Beach, FL
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 26.2416° N, 80.1339° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Pompano Beach, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.2416&lon=-80.1339&mi=10
- Aircraft: N122AK, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N122AK) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA (registry code 7640110, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HE R22 BETA
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 330 total, 315 in this make and model, 85 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090710047559I

## Narrative

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

ON JULY 10, 2009, AT APPROXIMATELY 1245 EASTERN STANDARD TIME(EST), N122AK, A ROBINSON R-22 BETA, SERIAL NUMBER 2028 LANDED IN AN OPEN AREA LOCATED AT 2780 NORTH POWERLINE ROAD, POMPANO BEACH, FLORIDA, 33060. NO DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER WAS OBSERVED AND NEITHER OF THE TWO OCCUPANTS WERE INJURED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND, HE HAD ELECTED TO LAND IN THIS LOCATION AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE DUE TO A LOW FUEL LIGHT INDICATION. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND IS A COMMERCIAL ROTORCRAFT PILOT WITH A ROTORCRAFT FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR RATING. A SECOND, STUDENT, PILOT WAS ONBOARD THE HELICOPTER AS WELL. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, HE WAS GIVING INSTRUCTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH 14 CFR 61, AND HAD BEEN CONDUCTING A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) STATED THEY DEPARTED POMOANO BEACH AIRPORT (KPMP) AT APPROXIMATELY 1015 EST AND FLEW TO PALM BEACH COUNTY GLADES AIRPORT(KPHK) APPROXIMATELY 45 NAUTICAL MILES (NM) AWAY, WHERE THEY MADE THREE TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. WHEN ASKED IF THEY LANDED AND SHUT DOWN THE HELICOPTER AT KPHK THE CFI STATED NO. THEY THEN FLEW TO AIRGLADES AIRPORT (21S) APPROXIMATELY 19 NM AWAY. THE CFI STATED THAT THEY MADE A FULL STOP LANDING AND SHUT THE HELICOPTER DOWN. NO FUEL WAS TAKEN ON AT 21S. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY THE LOCAL FIXED BASE OPERATOR (FBO) WHO STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER LANDED IN FRONT OF THE FBO AND SHUT DOWN AROUND MID-DAY. THE CFI THEN DEPARTED FROM 21S BACK TO KPMP. HE STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE NORTH WEST OF 2780 NORTH POWERLINE ROAD THE LOW FUEL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED 1/4 OF A TANK OF FUEL REMAINING. NOT KNOWING WHETHER THE FUEL INDICATING SYSTEM WAS INCORRECT OR IF THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT WAS MALFUNCTIONING, THE CFI TOOK THE CONTROLS OF THE HELICOPTER AND LOOKED FOR A SUITABLE LANDING PLACE AS A PRECAUTION. ON SCENE THE MAIN AND AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS WERE INSPECTED THROUGH THE FUEL FILLER POINT WITH A FLASHLIGHT. BOTH TANKS WERE OBSERVED TO HAVE APPROXIMATELY 1/4 INCH OF FUEL REMAINING. WHEN BATTERY POWER WAS APPLIED, THE FUEL INDICATION SYSTEM READ EMPTY. THE CFI STATED HIS PREFLIGHT PLANNING PROVIDED FOR SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR HIS INTENDED FLIGHT. THE FUEL GAUGE WAS CHECK ONCE AGAIN USING BATTERY POWER AFTER REFUELING THE AIRCRAFT WITH TWELVE GALLONS OF FUEL AT THE FIELD SIGHT. THE MAIN TANK INDICATED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 FULL. THE CFI WAS INSISTENT THAT AT THE TIME THE LOW FUEL LIGHT ILLUMINATED THE FUEL INDICATING SYSTEM WAS INDICATING 1/4 OF A TANK. AFTER REFUELING, THE CFI THEN DEPARTED BACK TO KPMP.

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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