# Accident 20111207029299A: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, Waipahu, HI, December 7, 2011 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 7, 2011, 08:15 local time - Place: Waipahu, HI - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Other, Specify - Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141) - Operator: RP8S - Location: 21.3883° N, 158.0081° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=21.3883&lon=-158.0081&mi=10 - Aircraft: N817AB, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N817AB) (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 HELICOPTER R22 BETA - Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Flight instructor - Pilot flight hours: 490 total, 476 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR12CA056](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12CA056) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20111207029299A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED FOLLOWING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WHILE CONDUCTING PRACTICE AUTO ROTATIONS. THE CFI FIRST DEMONSTRATED THE PROPER TECHNIQUE AND EXPLAINED THE PROCESS AND PROCEDURES DURING THE DEMONSTRATION. THE STUDENT THEN FLEW THE AIRCRAFT UP TO 1500 FT AND ENTERED A SIMULATED AUTOROTATION AT THE DIRECTION OF THE CFI. AT AN ALTITUDE OF 1000 FEET THE STUDENT WAS INSTRUCTED TO RECOVER FROM THE AUTO AND DID SO AS INSTRUCTED. WHILE CONDUCTING THE SECOND PRACTICE MANEUVER, DURING THE RECOVERY PHASE THE STUDENT ROLLED THE THROTTLE ON BUT THIS TIME THE CFI REPORTS THAT THE AIRCRAFT YAWED TO THE RIGHT AND THE TACHOMETERS INDICATED AN OVERSPEED WITH BOTH ENGINE AND ROTOR RPM "PEGGED" ABOVE THE GREEN ARC.THE CFI REPORTS IMMEDIATELY TAKING OVER THE CONTROLS AND MAKES THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:"MY STUDENT ROLLED ON THE THROTTLE AND I FELT A YAW TO THE RIGHT. I COUNTERED WITH THE LEFT PEDAL, AT THIS TIME I STATED "I HAVE THE CONTROLS" AND MY STUDENT LET GO OF THE CONTROLS. I FIRST NOTICED BOTH THE ENGINE AND ROTOR RPM WERE PEGGED ON TOP SO I IMMEDIATELY ROLLED OFF SOME THROTTLE TO LOWER ENGINE RPM. THEN I STARTED TO RAISE THE COLLECTIVE TO LOWER ROTOR RPM, BUT NEITHER OF THE RPM NEEDLES WERE DROOPING. I WAS MAINTAINING A LEVEL ATTITUDE BUT WAS STILL GETTING CLOSER TO THE GROUND. I CONTINUED TO PULL UP ON THE COLLECTIVE AND THE NEEDLES DIDN'T RESPOND AND WERE STILL PEGGED. WE WERE GETTING CLOSER TO THE GROUND SO I LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LAND. I LOOKED DOWN AND DETERMINED THAT WE HAVE A LARGE SAFE AREA TO LAND IN THE FIELD BELOW. WE PREPARED FOR A HARD LANDING. AS WE WERE LANDING I HEARD THE LOW RPM HORN SOUND WHICH INDICATES THE ROTOR RPM IS 97% OR BELOW. NOW SAFELY ON THE GROUND THE LOW RPM HORN WAS SOUNDING AND THE COLLECTIVE WAS STUCK IN THE UP POSITION. MY STUDENT AND I DIDN'T FEEL THE THAT THE IMPACT WAS HARD ENOUGH THAT THE HELICOPTER WOULD HAVE SUSTAINED THE DAMAGES IT DID. WE ACTUALLY THOUGHT THE LANDING WAS QUITE SOFT".DECEMBER 7 AT 8:39 AM HST FAA INSPECTOR LANCE JOHNSON RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MECHANIC, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, INFORMING HIM OF THE INCIDENT. FAA INSPECTORS LANCE JOHNSON, KYLE BARTLER AND WALTER WATSON ARRIVED ON SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 HST. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND IN A LARGE FARM FIELD TOWARDS THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF OAHU NEAR KUNIA ROAD IN WAIPAHU HAWAII. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT POINTED IN A SOUTH EAST DIRECTION, APPROXIMATE HEADING OF 120 DEGREES. THE TAILBOOM OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEVERED AT ITS MID POINT AND THE TAILROTOR, TAILROTOR GEARBOX, HORIZONTAL/VERTICAL STABILIZERS WERE FOUND MOSTLY INTACT AS AN ASSEMBLY ABOUT THIRTY FEET OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF THE TAILBOOM STRUCTURE WERE FOUND SCATTED ABOUT IN A SEMICIRCLE IN FRONT AND TO THE LEFT FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE TAILROTOR DRIVESHAFT WAS FOUND IN FRONT AND TO LEFT OF THE AIRCRAFT APROX. 375 FEET AWAY. ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE WAS FOUND TO BE HEAVILY DAMAGED, BUCKLED IN SEVERAL PLACES BUT IN ONE PIECE, THE OTHER MAIN ROTOR BLADE EXHIBITED VERY LITTLE DAMAGE OTHER THEN SOME SCUFFS AND SCRATCHES ON THE OUTBOARD LEADING EDGE AND LOWER SKIN. THE TOP OF THE CABIN AND THE AFT MAIN ROTOR GEARBOX COVER WERE DAMAGED FROM CONTACT WITH THE MAIN ROTOR MAST FAIRING. THE HEAVILY DAMAGED MAIN ROTOR BLADE'S PITCH CHANGE HORN WAS SEVERED AT THE SWASHPLATE. THE MAIN ROTOR GEARBOX SUPPORT FRAME WAS BENT AT THE AFT LOWER LONGITUDINAL TUBES. THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL FIREWALLS WERE BUCKLED IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS. THE RIGHT SIDE WINDSHIELD WAS LOOSE FROM THE LOWER AND AFT RETAINER. ALL FLIGHT AND ENGINE CONTROLS WERE CHECKED FOR CONTINUITY AND APPEARED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE PILOT REPORTED NO ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ## 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 WPR12CA056](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12CA056), Dec 7, 2011: Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta (N817AB), Waipahu, HI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The certified flight instructor's delayed remedial action and inadequate supervision during a practice autorotation. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's excessive application of 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.