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20130708011779A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R22 · Alta, UT · July 8, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 8, 2013 · 08:30 local
Place
Alta, UT
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N712U
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR13LA315
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R22
Reported engine
Lycoming O-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
855 total485 in this make and model208 in the last 90 days
N712URegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R22S/N 3676 · Built 2004Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22Engine modelLycoming O-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

The aircraft was enroute from heber city, Utah (36U) to salt lake city, Utah (slc) with a certified flight instructor (CFI) giving flight instruction to a student pilot. The aircraft was being operated in mountainous terrain at altitudes of approximately 10,000 feet MSL when the CFI and student pilot reported low rotor RPM. During attempts to recover rotor RPM the aircraft descended and impacted mountainous terrain at an approximate altitude of 9750 feet MSL.

The CFI stated that the student pilot was operating the aircraft in the mountainous terrain when the rotor RPM decreased. The CFI took control of the aircraft, increasing throttle and lowering the collective. Rotor RPM would recover for a short period, then decrease and the pilot increased throttle and lowered collective a total 3 times. During this time the aircraft was descending and the skids struck the ground. The pilot stated that at this time he had 65 knots of airspeed, that he used aft cyclic to decrease the airspeed and that the aircraft descended into the ground and rolled.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM HEBER CITY, UTAH (36U) TO SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (SLC) WITH A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) GIVING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TO A STUDENT PILOT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT ALTITUDES OF APPROXIMATELY 10,000 FEET MSL WHEN THE CFI AND STUDENT PILOT REPORTED LOW ROTOR RPM. DURING ATTEMPTS TO RECOVER ROTOR RPM THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED AND IMPACTED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT AN APPROXIMATE ALTITUDE OF 9750 FEET MSL.

THE CFI STATED THAT THE STUDENT PILOT WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT IN THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WHEN THE ROTOR RPM DECREASED. THE CFI TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, INCREASING THROTTLE AND LOWERING THE COLLECTIVE. ROTOR RPM WOULD RECOVER FOR A SHORT PERIOD, THEN DECREASE AND THE PILOT INCREASED THROTTLE AND LOWERED COLLECTIVE A TOTAL 3 TIMES. DURING THIS TIME THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING AND THE SKIDS STRUCK THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT AT THIS TIME HE HAD 65 KNOTS OF AIRSPEED, THAT HE USED AFT CYCLIC TO DECREASE THE AIRSPEED AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO THE GROUND AND ROLLED.

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 WPR13LA315Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAlta, UTThe flight instructor's decision to follow a route over mountainous terrain in conditions that exceeded the helicopter’s ability to maintain terrain clearance.Jul 8, 2013 · Destroyed