# Accident 20120925023289A: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, Anchorage, AK, September 25, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 25, 2012, 17:55 local time
- Place: Anchorage, AK
- Airport: Merrill Field
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: 3AYS
- Location: 61.2081° N, 149.8403° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.2081&lon=-149.8403&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4171J, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4171J) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA (registry code 7640110, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (registry code 42314, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-j2a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O-360-J2A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 336 total, 260 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC12CA111](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC12CA111) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120925023289A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

R-22 HELICOPTER HOVER AUTOROTATION:THE CFI WAS PIC FOR THE FLIGHT WITH A STUDENT IN WHICH SIMULATED POWER FAILURES AT A HOVER (HOVERING AUTOROTATIONS) WERE BEING PRACTICED. THE STUDENT ROLLED THROTTLE TO IDLE POSITION, BUT SIMULTANEOUSLY PULLED UP COLLECTIVE AND THE HELICOPTER DRIFTED SLIGHTLY LEFT. THE CFI CORRECTED TOO MUCH TO THE RIGHT AND ALLOWED THE HELICOPTER TO CONTINUE A SIDEWARD DRIFT TO THE RIGHT. ADDITIONALLY, THE CFI DID NOT POINT THE HELICOPTER IN THE SAME DIRECTION OF DRIFT.CONSEQUENTLY, WHEN THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED THE GROUND, IT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RIGHT SKID ONLY AND WITH A SIDEWARD DRIFT PAUSING MOMENTARILY BEFORE ROLLING ONTO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER. SINCE THE ROTOR BLADES WERE STILL TURNING, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ROTOR BLADES THEMSELVES AS THEY HIT THE GROUND, BUT THEY ALSO DAMAGED THE COCKPIT BUBBLE WINDOWS AND INSTRUMENT PANEL AS THE BLADES CAME THROUGH THE COCKPIT.NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY EITHER THE CFI OR STUDENT.

## 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 ANC12CA111](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC12CA111), Sep 26, 2012: Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta II (N4171J), Anchorage, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student pilot during a hovering autorotation, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.

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.

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