20120817017769A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA · Spanish Fork, UT · August 17, 2012

Date: August 17, 2012 · 16:42 local
Place: Spanish Fork, UT
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N208WM
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR12LA362
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
Reported engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,622 total844 in this make and model62 in the last 90 days

N208WMRegistration cancelled Feb 12, 2018 · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 4397 · Built 2008 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETA Engine modelLycoming O-360-J2AReciprocating

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.

Substantial damage was sustained after a hard landing during an instructional flight. The flight instructor and student pilot were practicing autorotations. They were practicing multiple straight-in autorotations and then initiated one from a 180-degree turn. During the turning maneuver, the main rotor RPM decayed and the helicopter's decent rate increased; the helicopter subsequently touched down hard and the left skid collapsed and then caused the aircraft to roll and come to a stop after 90 feet.

As the FAA filed it

SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED AFTER A HARD LANDING DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT WERE PRACTICING AUTOROTATIONS. THEY WERE PRACTICING MULTIPLE STRAIGHT-IN AUTOROTATIONS AND THEN INITIATED ONE FROM A 180-DEGREE TURN. DURING THE TURNING MANEUVER, THE MAIN ROTOR RPM DECAYED AND THE HELICOPTER'S DECENT RATE INCREASED; THE HELICOPTER SUBSEQUENTLY TOUCHED DOWN HARD AND THE LEFT SKID COLLAPSED AND THEN CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL AND COME TO A STOP AFTER 90 FEET.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR12LA362Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSpanish Fork, UTThe flight instructor’s delayed remedial action and inadequate supervision during a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing and rollover.Aug 17, 2012 · Substantial damage