- Date
- November 27, 1993, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Rockland, ME
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8380JRobinson R-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931127052539A
- Case key
- 8874
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
1) The pilot's failure to maintain adequate rotor RPM, 2) the pilot's failure to maintain directional control on landing, resulting in a dynamic rollover.
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
The pilot stated that during his second autorotation, he reduced power and the low rotor RPM warning was activated. As the pilot lowered the collective to restore RPM, the right skid struck the ground. The helicopter pivoted around to the right, resulting in a dynamic rollover. The helicopter rolled over onto its right side, resulting in substantial damage. No mechanical malfunctions were reported.
Factual narrative
On November 27, 1993, about 1200 hours eastern standard time, N8380J, a Robinson R-22 helicopter, operated by Bruce Woollett, Owls Head, Maine, was substantially damaged during landing at the Knox County Regional Airport, Rockland, Maine. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The personal flight departed from the Knox County Regional Airport and was conducted under 14 CFR 91.
The pilot stated that he was practicing autorotations to landing. During the second autorotation, the pilot lowered the collective and "... reduced power slightly." The low rotor RPM warning activated, so the pilot lowered the collective to restore RPM. As he performed this, the right skid of the helicopter "hit the soft ground in a slight right drift, resulting in a rollover." No mechanical malfunctions were reported.
According to a FAA aviation safety inspector, the rollover caused substantial damage to the rotorblades, mast, and tail.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8380J
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0326
- Airframe hours
- 2,562
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 124 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Woollett, Bruce
- Registered owner
- Woollett, Bruce
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 29, 1993 · 69 hours before
- Airport
- RKD · Knox County Regional
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
- 50
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 128 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RKD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.