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20180502004489A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R22 MARINER · Panama City Bea, FL · May 2, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 2, 2018 · 09:39 local
Place
Panama City Bea, FL
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N923SM
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA18LA140
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R22 Mariner
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
480 total480 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days
N923SMRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R22 MARINERS/N 1923M · Built 1991Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 MARINEREngine modelLycoming 0-320 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 pilot stated that on may 2, 2018 he checked the weather and performed a preflight inspection of N923SM at 09:30A.m. EST local. He took off from perry-foley airport in perry, Florida (40J) for destin executive airport destin, Florida (kdts) on a westward track along the coast. He was lead aircraft in a flight of two helicopters. While cruising for about 1 hour and 30 minutes at 800 feet AGL the pilot entered the Panama city beach area where he contacted eglin tower.

The pilot stated that he was about .5 nautical miles south of the shoreline and had a slight tail wind when the helicopter began to lose forward speed. The pilot stated that he attempted to push the cyclic forward to increase forward speed and maintain 60 knots. He stated that then attempted to trim the aircraft for additional speed with no improvement. As the aircraft continued to lose speed he tried to turn the aircraft into the wind and while turning toward the shoreline. The pilot stated that the cyclic was against the forward stop and he was unable to make a cyclic turn the right. He stated that he increased collective and added power to aid in maneuvering to the right as he descended to the water?s surface attempting to autorotate. The pilot stated that he remembered trying to flare upon landing but was losing control at touchdown with no forward airspeed. Upon landing on the water, one of the main rotor blades contacted the surface of the water and immediately rolled the aircraft upside down. The pilot remembered being completely submerged, then exited the aircraft to the surface holding on to the aircraft floats.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT STATED THAT ON MAY 2, 2018 HE CHECKED THE WEATHER AND PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF N923SM AT 09:30A.M. EST LOCAL. HE TOOK OFF FROM PERRY-FOLEY AIRPORT IN PERRY, FLORIDA (40J) FOR DESTIN EXECUTIVE AIRPORT DESTIN, FLORIDA (KDTS) ON A WESTWARD TRACK ALONG THE COAST. HE WAS LEAD AIRCRAFT IN A FLIGHT OF TWO HELICOPTERS.WHILE CRUISING FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR AND 30 MINUTES AT 800 FEET AGL THE PILOT ENTERED THE PANAMA CITY BEACH AREA WHERE HE CONTACTED EGLIN TOWER.

THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS ABOUT .5 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH OF THE SHORELINE AND HAD A SLIGHT TAIL WIND WHEN THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO LOSE FORWARD SPEED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO PUSH THE CYCLIC FORWARD TO INCREASE FORWARD SPEED AND MAINTAIN 60 KNOTS. HE STATED THAT THEN ATTEMPTED TO TRIM THE AIRCRAFT FOR ADDITIONAL SPEED WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. AS THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO LOSE SPEED HE TRIED TO TURN THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE WIND AND WHILE TURNING TOWARD THE SHORELINE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE CYCLIC WAS AGAINST THE FORWARD STOP AND HE WAS UNABLE TO MAKE A CYCLIC TURN THE RIGHT. HE STATED THAT HE INCREASED COLLECTIVE AND ADDED POWER TO AID IN MANEUVERING TO THE RIGHT AS HE DESCENDED TO THE WATER?S SURFACE ATTEMPTING TO AUTOROTATE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE REMEMBERED TRYING TO FLARE UPON LANDING BUT WAS LOSING CONTROL AT TOUCHDOWN WITH NO FORWARD AIRSPEED. UPON LANDING ON THE WATER, ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE SURFACE OF THE WATER AND IMMEDIATELY ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT UPSIDE DOWN. THE PILOT REMEMBERED BEING COMPLETELY SUBMERGED, THEN EXITED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE SURFACE HOLDING ON TO THE AIRCRAFT FLOATS.

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 ERA18LA140Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPanama City, FLThe pilot's failure to properly remove and secure the tie-down ropes during the preflight inspection, which resulted in the ropes becoming entangled in the rotor head swashplate and pitch control rods during flight and the subsequent loss of pitch control.May 2, 2018 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N923SM · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19971218043289ISfl Autorotation · Stow, MANarrative: student pilot was being administered a private pilot rotorcraft helicopter certification practical test by a designated pilot examiner. The applicant was instructed to demonstrate a hovering auto rotation in accordance with appropriate practical…Dec 18, 1997 · Minor damage