What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 2, 2012, about 1510 Hawaii standard time, N209KR, a Robinson R22 beta helicopter on an instructional flight was substantially damaged during a hard landing following a reported partial loss of engine power, near Kona, Hawaii. Visual meteorological condition prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight departed from Kona airport where the aircraft was fueled to a total of 27 gallons of avgas. The instructor pilot and student pilot departed Kona airport for a practice area approximately 10 miles to the northeast to practice off airport landings. The instructor located a spot to practice the off airport landing at the edge of black lava field, along an old road the crosses the lava rock a few miles north of a golf course. The terrain is rough with a gradual down slope from the mountain to the east, down to the ocean from the west. The road that was going to be used for the approach parallels the slope from north to south. The instructor had the student pilot complete a power check and accomplish 3 to 4 orbits before the decision was made to accomplish the approach from the north, on the approach the crew encountered visual moisture on the windscreen, and applied carburetor heat. The estimated airspeed at this point was 50 to 55 knots. As the aircraft descended to approximately 300 feet, the crew reported a change in the helicopter noise and an increase of vibration in the helicopter, also the engine was running rough. The instructor reported they began to sink faster, the rotor rpm's coming down, and they heard the low rotor horn. The instructor pilot took the controls back from the student pilot, lowered the collective, rolled on the throttle, and flared with the cyclic. The crew reports that there may have been a momentary change in the engine noise like the rpm's were revving up, then the noise went quiet. The pilot pushed forward for airspeed and looked for a spot to land, he instructed the student pilot to try and restart the engine. The crew reported that they attempted at 3 starts of the engine without any indications of a restart. The helicopter was in a very fast descent, the instructor pilot pulled aft collective at approximately 40 feet AGL but the aircraft continue with the high rate of descent, the aircraft then impacted the ground. After impact the crew reports they heard a noise possibly the low rotor horn or engine, and noted the rotor blades were still turning. The crew pulled the mixture, turned off the master switch, and turned off the ignition key, the noise went away. The crew applied the rotor brake, turned off the fuel valve and disembarked the helicopter.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 2, 2012, ABOUT 1510 HAWAII STANDARD TIME, N209KR, A ROBINSON R22 BETA HELICOPTER ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A HARD LANDING FOLLOWING A REPORTED PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, NEAR KONA, HAWAII. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITION PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM KONA AIRPORT WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED TO A TOTAL OF 27 GALLONS OF AVGAS. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED KONA AIRPORT FOR A PRACTICE AREA APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES TO THE NORTHEAST TO PRACTICE OFF AIRPORT LANDINGS. THE INSTRUCTOR LOCATED A SPOT TO PRACTICE THE OFF AIRPORT LANDING AT THE EDGE OF BLACK LAVA FIELD, ALONG AN OLD ROAD THE CROSSES THE LAVA ROCK A FEW MILES NORTH OF A GOLF COURSE. THE TERRAIN IS ROUGH WITH A GRADUAL DOWN SLOPE FROM THE MOUNTAIN TO THE EAST, DOWN TO THE OCEAN FROM THE WEST. THE ROAD THAT WAS GOING TO BE USED FOR THE APPROACH PARALLELS THE SLOPE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH.THE INSTRUCTOR HAD THE STUDENT PILOT COMPLETE A POWER CHECK AND ACCOMPLISH 3 TO 4 ORBITS BEFORE THE DECISION WAS MADE TO ACCOMPLISH THE APPROACH FROM THE NORTH, ON THE APPROACH THE CREW ENCOUNTERED VISUAL MOISTURE ON THE WINDSCREEN, AND APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT. THE ESTIMATED AIRSPEED AT THIS POINT WAS 50 TO 55 KNOTS.AS THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED TO APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET, THE CREW REPORTED A CHANGE IN THE HELICOPTER NOISE AND AN INCREASE OF VIBRATION IN THE HELICOPTER, ALSO THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH. THE INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THEY BEGAN TO SINK FASTER, THE ROTOR RPM'S COMING DOWN, AND THEY HEARD THE LOW ROTOR HORN. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT TOOK THE CONTROLS BACK FROM THE STUDENT PILOT, LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE, ROLLED ON THE THROTTLE, AND FLARED WITH THE CYCLIC. THE CREW REPORTS THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A MOMENTARY CHANGE IN THE ENGINE NOISE LIKE THE RPM'S WERE REVVING UP, THEN THE NOISE WENT QUIET. THE PILOT PUSHED FORWARD FOR AIRSPEED AND LOOKED FOR A SPOT TO LAND, HE INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT PILOT TO TRY AND RESTART THE ENGINE. THE CREW REPORTED THAT THEY ATTEMPTED AT 3 STARTS OF THE ENGINE WITHOUT ANY INDICATIONS OF A RESTART.THE HELICOPTER WAS IN A VERY FAST DESCENT, THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT PULLED AFT COLLECTIVE AT APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET AGL BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUE WITH THE HIGH RATE OF DESCENT, THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND. AFTER IMPACT THE CREW REPORTS THEY HEARD A NOISE POSSIBLY THE LOW ROTOR HORN OR ENGINE, AND NOTED THE ROTOR BLADES WERE STILL TURNING. THE CREW PULLED THE MIXTURE, TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH, AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION KEY, THE NOISE WENT AWAY. THE CREW APPLIED THE ROTOR BRAKE, TURNED OFF THE FUEL VALVE AND DISEMBARKED THE HELICOPTER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.