- Date
- August 24, 2004, 13:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place
- Logan, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7530DRobinson R22 Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20040824018189A
- Case key
- 59978
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 instructor's failure to maintain adequate rotor speed during the landing flare, resulting in a hard landing. Contributing factors include the student's delay in relinquishing the controls and the instructor's improper supervision.
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
According to the instructor, after demonstrating some ground maneuvers, he entered the pattern to demonstrate a practice autorotation. The instructor stated that they entered the autorotation at approximately 850 feet above the ground. The airspeed, and rpm were in the green, and the descent was around 1500 feet per minute. The instructor stated that at approximately 40 feet above the ground, they started the flare. At the end of the flare, he announced "recover," and then announced, "I have the controls." The instructor was unable to recover the engine rpm. The instructor leveled the helicopter and landed hard on the runway. The impact with the runway crushed the landing gear skids upward, and buckled the fuselage and tail boom.
Factual narrative
On August 24, 2004, at approximately 1350 mountain daylight time, a Robinson R22, N7530D, operated by Cross Country Aviation Inc., was substantially damaged during a hard landing at Logan-Cache Airport (LGU), Logan, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local instructional flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The commercial certificated instructor and private pilot receiving instruction were not injured. The flight originated at approximately 1330.
According to the instructor, after demonstrating some ground maneuvers, he entered the pattern to demonstrate a "practice autorotation with a power recovery." The instructor stated that, at approximately 850 feet above the ground, on approach to runway 35, he entered the autorotation. In the glide, the airspeed "was 65 to 70 knots, [rotor] rpm was in the green, and the descent was around 1500 feet per minute. Everything was good."
The instructor stated that at approximately 40 feet above the ground, "we" started the flare. At the end of the flare, I announced "recover." The student was "very tight on the throttle." Then I announced, "I have the controls." The instructor said he was unable to recover the [engine] rpm. The instructor leveled the helicopter and landed hard on the runway. The impact with the runway crushed the landing gear skids upward, and buckled the fuselage and tail boom.
At 1351, the recorded weather conditions at Logan (4,454 feet msl) were, wind, 000 degrees at 0 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; sky condition, overcast at 085; temperature, 19 degrees C.; dew point, 08 degrees C.; altimeter setting, 29.96. The calculated density altitude was 5,939 feet msl.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7530D
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3619
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lift Off Leasing Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- LGU · Logan, UT
- Destination
- LGU · Logan, UT
- Airport
- LGU · Logan-Cache Airport, runway 35
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 607 total · 575 in this make and model · 160 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
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 N7530D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.