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20220725007889A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Cedar City, UT · July 25, 2022

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 25, 2022 · 08:45 local
Place
Cedar City, UT
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
2UUS
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N497SU
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR22LA267
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
350 total350 in this make and model86 in the last 90 days
N497SURegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 11441 · Built 2006Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 IIEngine modelLycoming IO-540-AE1A5Reciprocating

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.

On July 25, 2022, the instructor and student were practicing autorotations west of Cedar City airport (cdc) in preparation for the student?s private pilot certificate. When they were about to return to base, they decided to do one more autorotation. The instructor reported the airspeed and rotor RPM fluctuated quite a bit, and at about 200 feet, the rotor was in the lower 90% range, and he was about 60 knots. He tried to recover by using engine power alone, but felt the situation was unrecoverable. He was also nervous about losing too much airspeed to high, and reported he did not flare for the landing. The instructor then rolled off the throttle for the landing, and used full collective drooping the rotor system. The aircraft touched down at approximately 50 to 60 knots, then veered off the dirt road to the left. The left skid dug into the dirt causing them to rotate 180 degreed and then rolled onto its left side causing substantial damage to the aircraft, and no injuries to the crew.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 25, 2022, THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT WERE PRACTICING AUTOROTATIONS WEST OF CEDAR CITY AIRPORT (CDC) IN PREPARATION FOR THE STUDENT?S PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE. WHEN THEY WERE ABOUT TO RETURN TO BASE, THEY DECIDED TO DO ONE MORE AUTOROTATION. THE INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THE AIRSPEED AND ROTOR RPM FLUCTUATED QUITE A BIT, AND AT ABOUT 200 FEET, THE ROTOR WAS IN THE LOWER 90% RANGE, AND HE WAS ABOUT 60 KNOTS. HE TRIED TO RECOVER BY USING ENGINE POWER ALONE, BUT FELT THE SITUATION WAS UNRECOVERABLE. HE WAS ALSO NERVOUS ABOUT LOSING TOO MUCH AIRSPEED TO HIGH, AND REPORTED HE DID NOT FLARE FOR THE LANDING. THE INSTRUCTOR THEN ROLLED OFF THE THROTTLE FOR THE LANDING, AND USED FULL COLLECTIVE DROOPING THE ROTOR SYSTEM. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 50 TO 60 KNOTS, THEN VEERED OFF THE DIRT ROAD TO THE LEFT. THE LEFT SKID DUG INTO THE DIRT CAUSING THEM TO ROTATE 180 DEGREED AND THEN ROLLED ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, AND NO INJURIES TO THE CREW.

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 WPR22LA267Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportCedar City, UTThe student pilot’s failure to maintain rotor rpm and airspeed and the flight instructor's inadequate remedial action to regain helicopter control during the straight-in autorotation which resulted in a hard landing.Jul 25, 2022 · Substantial damage