- Date
- November 5, 1983, 16:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Gaithersburg, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8414HRobinson R22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831105071319A
- Case key
- 6234
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During his 2nd solo flt in the Robinson R22, the plt performed 2 low 'g' maneuvers. The 1st maneuver was essentially the same as when he practiced it during a check-out flt. However, the 2nd maneuver produced a rapid right roll to aprx 60 deg of bank. The plt recovered in a descending right turn. After recovery, the acft seemed to be operating normally. Before landing, he practiced an autorotative apch to a power on recovery without touching down. Several landing were made, but he stated all touchdowns were normal. A post flt inspection revealed the main rotor spindles had bumped the mast at the teetering stops, resulting in dents up to .045 to .50 inch in the mast. Also, the main rotor spindle arms (horns) had contacted the droop stops, shearing the droop stop retainer bolt & bending the spindle horns. According to the manufacturer, the droop stop/bolt damage could only occur during a hard landing or negative 'g' flt. The flt manual & safety notice #11 warns: recovery from roll due to low 'g' must begin with aft cyclic first to prevent mast bumping.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8414H
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0355
- Airframe hours
- 153
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 124 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aero Flight Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 29, 1983 · 75 hours before
- Airport
- GAI · Montgomery County
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 22,735 total · 5 in this make and model · 22,515 as pilot in command · 153 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DCA, 21 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8414H · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.