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20180612007599I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Robinson R44 · Grand Forks, ND · June 12, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 12, 2018 · 18:00 local
Place
Grand Forks, ND
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator
OG5S
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N79RH
Reported as
Robinson R-44
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
3,410 total112 in this make and model90 in the last 90 days
N79RHRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44S/N 30011 · Built 2017Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44Engine modelLycoming O-540-F1B5Reciprocating

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.

Instructor was introduccing the run-on landing maneuver to a private pilot in the R-44 transistion/qualification course. The run-on landing was a sod area of the airport that was frequently used for the maneuver and has been used for more than 10 years. The instructor did not conduct a surface recon. The aircraft touched down at approximatly 10 knots and while sliding forward the instructor saw a field drain sticking up approximately 3 inches. The instructor raised the collective to avoid striking the drain. The left skid struck the drain about midway along the skid where it caught on to a skid pad and broke the center section of the skid tube between the two cross tubes away. Both manufacturers vertical and lateral harding landing inspections revealed no damage to the skid, landing gear fairings and a dented engine cowl on the left side. Classified as an incident with only minor damage. Contributing factors include airport had not mowed the grass and it concealed the drain from vision until the aircraft was a short distance away. These hazards were known to the instructor but they had not been marked like those in another area of the airport where simuliar activities are common.

As the FAA filed it

INSTRUCTOR WAS INTRODUCCING THE RUN-ON LANDING MANEUVER TO A PRIVATE PILOT IN THE R-44 TRANSISTION/QUALIFICATION COURSE. THE RUN-ON LANDING WAS A SOD AREA OF THE AIRPORT THAT WAS FREQUENTLY USED FOR THE MANEUVER AND HAS BEEN USED FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS. THE INSTRUCTOR DID NOT CONDUCT A SURFACE RECON. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROXIMATLY 10 KNOTS AND WHILE SLIDING FORWARD THE INSTRUCTOR SAW A FIELD DRAIN STICKING UP APPROXIMATELY 3 INCHES. THE INSTRUCTOR RAISED THE COLLECTIVE TO AVOID STRIKING THE DRAIN. THE LEFT SKID STRUCK THE DRAIN ABOUT MIDWAY ALONG THE SKID WHERE IT CAUGHT ON TO A SKID PAD AND BROKE THE CENTER SECTION OF THE SKID TUBE BETWEEN THE TWO CROSS TUBES AWAY. BOTH MANUFACTURERS VERTICAL AND LATERAL HARDING LANDING INSPECTIONS REVEALED NO DAMAGE TO THE SKID, LANDING GEAR FAIRINGS AND A DENTED ENGINE COWL ON THE LEFT SIDE. CLASSIFIED AS AN INCIDENT WITH ONLY MINOR DAMAGE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE AIRPORT HAD NOT MOWED THE GRASS AND IT CONCEALED THE DRAIN FROM VISION UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT WAS A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY. THESE HAZARDS WERE KNOWN TO THE INSTRUCTOR BUT THEY HAD NOT BEEN MARKED LIKE THOSE IN ANOTHER AREA OF THE AIRPORT WHERE SIMULIAR ACTIVITIES ARE COMMON.