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20171005014319A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA · North Las Vegas, NV · October 5, 2017

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Date
October 5, 2017 · 07:30 local
Place
North Las Vegas, NV
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
1ENS
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N878MC
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
Reported engine
Lycoming O-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
20 total20 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N878MCRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 3782 · Built 2005Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETAEngine 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.

A Robinson R-44 helicopter operating under CFR part 91 sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at the North Las Vegas airport. The helicopter was on a flight instruction flight with a student pilot and flight instructor.

The student pilot, who was maniplulating the controls at the time of the event, was working on a private certificate. He was being instructed on power recovery auto rotations at the time of the event.

The pilot stated that he became nervous during the maneuver and froze on the controls which prevented the instructor from applying throttle and collective corrections.

It appeared that the aircraft struck a taxiway, in a relatively level attitude, a high rate of descent causing the forward and aft landing gear cross tubes and side struts to bend.

The pilot and the instructor were both uninjured.

Subsequent examination of the aircraft revealed the tailboom was dented and angled downward due to the force of impact. It also revealed that the lower engine support frame assembly was bent.

Inspection of the aircraft revealed that the aircraft damage appeared to be consistent with the facts provided by the pilot and instructor.

Flight control continuity and engine control was established.

Report to be amended.

As the FAA filed it

A ROBINSON R-44 HELICOPTER OPERATING UNDER CFR PART 91 SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A HARD LANDING AT THE NORTH LAS VEGAS AIRPORT. THE HELICOPTER WAS ON A FLIGHT INSTRUCTION FLIGHT WITH A STUDENT PILOT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR.

THE STUDENT PILOT, WHO WAS MANIPLULATING THE CONTROLS AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT, WAS WORKING ON A PRIVATE CERTIFICATE. HE WAS BEING INSTRUCTED ON POWER RECOVERY AUTO ROTATIONS AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT.

THE PILOT STATED THAT HE BECAME NERVOUS DURING THE MANEUVER AND FROZE ON THE CONTROLS WHICH PREVENTED THE INSTRUCTOR FROM APPLYING THROTTLE AND COLLECTIVE CORRECTIONS.

IT APPEARED THAT THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TAXIWAY, IN A RELATIVELY LEVEL ATTITUDE, A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT CAUSING THE FORWARD AND AFT LANDING GEAR CROSS TUBES AND SIDE STRUTS TO BEND.

THE PILOT AND THE INSTRUCTOR WERE BOTH UNINJURED.

SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE TAILBOOM WAS DENTED AND ANGLED DOWNWARD DUE TO THE FORCE OF IMPACT. IT ALSO REVEALED THAT THE LOWER ENGINE SUPPORT FRAME ASSEMBLY WAS BENT.

INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE APPEARED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE FACTS PROVIDED BY THE PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR.

FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY AND ENGINE CONTROL WAS ESTABLISHED.

REPORT TO BE AMENDED.