20100602005419A

On June 2, 2010 at 16:32 hours local time N522SA, a 2005 Robinson R-22 helicopter crashed in a neighborhood near the Felts Field Airport in Spokane, Washington. The helicopter was destroyed resulting in the fatal injuries of the sole occupant a student pilot with 32 hours total time. The tailboom of the helicopter was severed in flight by a main rotor blade strike, and was found a substantial distance from the main wreckage of the helicopter. Various parts of the helicopter's tail-boom, and plexiglas broke up in-fight. The helicopter then fell vertically into the backyard of a home in a densely populated neighborhood. No property damage or injuries occurred to persons or property on the surface. A post accident inspection of the helicopter revealed that the aircraft had fuel, the magnetos created spark, however the engine was stopped when the helicopter impacted the surface. There also appeared to be little or no rotor RPM when the helicopter impacted the ground. The 29 year old male student pilot was conducting a supervised solo flight on the day of the accident, and had flown with a qualified flight instructor prior to beginning his solo operations that day. Environmental conditions that particular day were conducive to the formation carburetor ice, and could be a possible factor. The temperature was in the 50 degree fahrenheit range with high humidity. A post accident inspection of the helicopter conducted by personnel from the NTSB, FAA and Robinson helicopter company did not conclusively reveal any mechanical abnormalities with this particular helicopter.