20120509007889A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Grants, NM · May 9, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: May 9, 2012 · 09:36 local
Place: Grants, NM
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N7523S
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 613 total138 in this make and model32 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On may 10, 2012 at 9:00 am N7523S, a Robinson R44 helicopter departed albuquerque sunport int. Airport for page municipal airport, page AZ., about .6 hours in to the flight the commercial rated flight instructor entered into a practice autorotation. When the pilot attempted to recover from the practice autorotation there was no power and the autorotation was completed. The weather was visual meteorological conditions and a weather briefing was obtained and a flight plan filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the pilot and passenger were not injured.

As the FAA filed it

ON MAY 10, 2012 AT 9:00 AM N7523S, A ROBINSON R44 HELICOPTER DEPARTED ALBUQUERQUE SUNPORT INT. AIRPORT FOR PAGE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, PAGE AZ., ABOUT .6 HOURS IN TO THE FLIGHT THE COMMERCIAL RATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ENTERED INTO A PRACTICE AUTOROTATION. WHEN THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RECOVER FROM THE PRACTICE AUTOROTATION THERE WAS NO POWER AND THE AUTOROTATION WAS COMPLETED. THE WEATHER WAS VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND A WEATHER BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED AND A FLIGHT PLAN FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED.