20230809013769A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA · Sevierville, TN · August 9, 2023

Date: August 9, 2023 · 10:03 local
Place: Sevierville, TN
Airport: Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N798MG
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN23LA358
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-360-A1D
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours: 255 total198 in this make and model77 in the last 90 days

N798MGRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 2704 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETA Engine modelLycoming 0-360-A1DReciprocating

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.

Roughly 3 feet off the ground the instructor was practicing hover autos with the student. Upon entry with throttle off the aircraft started yawing left and their decent was faster than expected. The student pulled up on the collective to keep them from hitting the ground too abrubptly. As they were coming left, he pushed the right pedal to counter act the left yaw and they started going back to where they entered the auto hover. Before they got back to the entry point, he started pushing the left pedal to stop the yaw and it didn't do anything. At that point they conditinued to raise in altitude and spin. The instructor claimed controls and recommended rolling the throttle on becuase it was currently 50-60 %. They continued to rise in altitude while the instructor tried to gain control of the aircraft. Without the throttle being able to come back on to get the tail rotor thrusting again, the instructor tried to maintain a level attitude until it hit the ground.

As the FAA filed it

ROUGHLY 3 FEET OFF THE GROUND THE INSTRUCTOR WAS PRACTICING HOVER AUTOS WITH THE STUDENT. UPON ENTRY WITH THROTTLE OFF THE AIRCRAFT STARTED YAWING LEFT AND THEIR DECENT WAS FASTER THAN EXPECTED. THE STUDENT PULLED UP ON THE COLLECTIVE TO KEEP THEM FROM HITTING THE GROUND TOO ABRUBPTLY. AS THEY WERE COMING LEFT, HE PUSHED THE RIGHT PEDAL TO COUNTER ACT THE LEFT YAW AND THEY STARTED GOING BACK TO WHERE THEY ENTERED THE AUTO HOVER. BEFORE THEY GOT BACK TO THE ENTRY POINT, HE STARTED PUSHING THE LEFT PEDAL TO STOP THE YAW AND IT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. AT THAT POINT THEY CONDITINUED TO RAISE IN ALTITUDE AND SPIN. THE INSTRUCTOR CLAIMED CONTROLS AND RECOMMENDED ROLLING THE THROTTLE ON BECUASE IT WAS CURRENTLY 50-60 %. THEY CONTINUED TO RISE IN ALTITUDE WHILE THE INSTRUCTOR TRIED TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. WITHOUT THE THROTTLE BEING ABLE TO COME BACK ON TO GET THE TAIL ROTOR THRUSTING AGAIN, THE INSTRUCTOR TRIED TO MAINTAIN A LEVEL ATTITUDE UNTIL IT HIT THE GROUND.

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 CEN23LA358Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportSevierville, TNThe flight instructor’s improper flight control inputs during the practice hovering autorotation that resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.Aug 9, 2023 · Substantial damage