# Accident 20220725007889A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Cedar City, UT, July 25, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 25, 2022, 08:45 local time
- Place: Cedar City, UT
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: 2UUS
- Location: 37.7024° N, 113.3012° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.7024&lon=-113.3012&mi=10
- Aircraft: N497SU, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N497SU) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (registry code 7640122, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (registry code 41899, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-ae1a5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540-AE1A5
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 350 total, 350 in this make and model, 86 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR22LA267](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA267) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220725007889A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR22LA267](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA267), Jul 25, 2022: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N497SU), Cedar City, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The 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…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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