- Date
- November 19, 2008, 09:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Erie, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N221DSRobinson Helicopter R22 Beta II
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 24, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20081119851159A
- Case key
- 69472
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
the pilot's improper flare during the practice autorotation which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing factors were the flight instructor's delayed remedial action and inadequate supervision.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot, who was also a certified helicopter flight instructor, was demonstrating a 180-degree autorotation to the flight instructor as part of a flight review. While on final glide approximately 100 feet above ground level (agl), the landing checks were complete to include: rotor RPM in the green arc, airspeed at 60 knots, and the landing skids aligned with runway. Approximately 60 feet agl, the rotor RPM was at the bottom of the green arc, and the flight instructor expected the pilot to initiate a flare; however, the flare was "very mild, if none, with little reduction in aircraft speed and rate of descent." Subsequently, the flight instructor "hesitated" in taking the helicopter controls and the helicopter landed hard and skidded down the runway. During the hard landing, the main rotor blades severed the tail boom. Examination of the airframe revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.
Factual narrative
The pilot, who was also a certified helicopter flight instructor, was demonstrating a 180-degree autorotation to the flight instructor as part of a flight review. While on final glide approximately 100 feet above ground level (agl), the landing checks were complete to include: rotor RPM in the green arc, airspeed at 60 knots, and the landing skids aligned with runway. Approximately 60 feet agl, the rotor RPM was at the bottom of the green arc, and the flight instructor expected the pilot to initiate a flare; however, the flare was "very mild, if none, with little reduction in aircraft speed and rate of descent." Subsequently, the flight instructor "hesitated" in taking the helicopter controls and the helicopter landed hard and skidded down the runway. During the hard landing, the main rotor blades severed the tail boom. Examination of the airframe revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N221DS
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3065
- Airframe hours
- 866.9
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 3, 2008
- Departed
- EIK · Erie, CO
- Destination
- EIK · Erie, CO
- Airport
- EIK · Erie Municipal Airport, runway 15, concrete
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 30, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,061 total · 1,059 in this make and model · 960 as pilot in command · 77 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 30, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 22,000 total · 68 in this make and model · 20,000 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F
- Observed at
- EIK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.