What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 18, 2017 at approximately 19:35 uct or 13:35 CST, a Robinson R-22 (beta) helicopter touched down in a hard landing after executing a 180 degree autorotation maneuver to a power recovery exercise. This was an instructional flight with one student pilot and one flight instructor on board. During the final stages of the maneuver, the descent rate of the helicoper was in excess from which the flight instructor could take corrective action and arrest the descent before making contact with the runway thus not allowing a successful outcome of the maneuver. The initial touchdown was approximatlely 2025 feet from the end of runway 32 left at the University of Illinois willard airport (kcmi) in Champaign / urbana, Illinois. The helicopter came to rest on the northeast side of runway 32 left about 365 feet past the point of initial touchdown. The pilot in command stated that the helicopter touched down in a level attitude. The rate of descent at touchdown was great enough to spread both landing gear skids of the helicopter. The right landing gear skid was spread out more than the left skid allowing part of the belly of the aircraft to hit the runway. Upon impact, one or both of the main rotor blades drooped FAR enough to partially sever the empanage and tail rotor from the tail boom of the helicopter. The runway abrasions indicate that the partially severed empanage and tail rotor of tail boom was dragged along the runway from approximately the 2OO foot mark after initial touchdown. The pilot in command stated that the main rotor blades continued to rotate as the helicopter slid forward. Just before the helicopter ceased forward motion, the right landing gear skid slid off the right side of the runway pavement into the soft turf adjacent to the runway which caused the helicopter to start a turn to the right. The main rotor blades struck the ground and the helicopter fuselage continued to spin 180 degrees to the right thereby pointing the aircraft in the opposite direction from the initial touchdown and landing line. After the fuselage spun around, the empanage and tail rotor broke away from the tail boom of the helicopter and the fuselage tipped over on the left side coming to a final rest. Both occupants of the aircraft exited without injury, were assessed by paramedic personnel and both occupants signed medical treatment refusals. University of Illinois willard airport fire department personnel noticed a small oil/fuel leak coming from the top of the fuselage as it lay on it?s side and placed a (pig sock) down to absorb the liquid. Fire department personnel stood by at the scene. After the helicopter and associated debris were removed, the runway was broomed to clear the remaining debris. An after accident inspection of the surface was completed and the surface was determined to be clear and dry.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 18, 2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 19:35 UCT OR 13:35 CST, A ROBINSON R-22 (BETA) HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN IN A HARD LANDING AFTER EXECUTING A 180 DEGREE AUTOROTATION MANEUVER TO A POWER RECOVERY EXERCISE. THIS WAS AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WITH ONE STUDENT PILOT AND ONE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ON BOARD. DURING THE FINAL STAGES OF THE MANEUVER, THE DESCENT RATE OF THE HELICOPER WAS IN EXCESS FROM WHICH THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR COULD TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION AND ARREST THE DESCENT BEFORE MAKING CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY THUS NOT ALLOWING A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME OF THE MANEUVER. THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN WAS APPROXIMATLELY 2025 FEET FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 32 LEFT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS WILLARD AIRPORT (KCMI) IN CHAMPAIGN / URBANA, ILLINOIS. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF RUNWAY 32 LEFT ABOUT 365 FEET PAST THE POINT OF INITIAL TOUCHDOWN. THE PILOT IN COMMAND STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE RATE OF DESCENT AT TOUCHDOWN WAS GREAT ENOUGH TO SPREAD BOTH LANDING GEAR SKIDS OF THE HELICOPTER. THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR SKID WAS SPREAD OUT MORE THAN THE LEFT SKID ALLOWING PART OF THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT TO HIT THE RUNWAY. UPON IMPACT, ONE OR BOTH OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES DROOPED FAR ENOUGH TO PARTIALLY SEVER THE EMPANAGE AND TAIL ROTOR FROM THE TAIL BOOM OF THE HELICOPTER. THE RUNWAY ABRASIONS INDICATE THAT THE PARTIALLY SEVERED EMPANAGE AND TAIL ROTOR OF TAIL BOOM WAS DRAGGED ALONG THE RUNWAY FROM APPROXIMATELY THE 2OO FOOT MARK AFTER INITIAL TOUCHDOWN. THE PILOT IN COMMAND STATED THAT THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTINUED TO ROTATE AS THE HELICOPTER SLID FORWARD. JUST BEFORE THE HELICOPTER CEASED FORWARD MOTION, THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR SKID SLID OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY PAVEMENT INTO THE SOFT TURF ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY WHICH CAUSED THE HELICOPTER TO START A TURN TO THE RIGHT. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE GROUND AND THE HELICOPTER FUSELAGE CONTINUED TO SPIN 180 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT THEREBY POINTING THE AIRCRAFT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN AND LANDING LINE. AFTER THE FUSELAGE SPUN AROUND, THE EMPANAGE AND TAIL ROTOR BROKE AWAY FROM THE TAIL BOOM OF THE HELICOPTER AND THE FUSELAGE TIPPED OVER ON THE LEFT SIDE COMING TO A FINAL REST. BOTH OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT EXITED WITHOUT INJURY, WERE ASSESSED BY PARAMEDIC PERSONNEL AND BOTH OCCUPANTS SIGNED MEDICAL TREATMENT REFUSALS. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS WILLARD AIRPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL NOTICED A SMALL OIL/FUEL LEAK COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE AS IT LAY ON IT?S SIDE AND PLACED A (PIG SOCK) DOWN TO ABSORB THE LIQUID. FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL STOOD BY AT THE SCENE. AFTER THE HELICOPTER AND ASSOCIATED DEBRIS WERE REMOVED, THE RUNWAY WAS BROOMED TO CLEAR THE REMAINING DEBRIS. AN AFTER ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE SURFACE WAS COMPLETED AND THE SURFACE WAS DETERMINED TO BE CLEAR AND DRY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.