# NTSB DEN05LA130: Robinson R22, N777UH, Falcon, CO, August 25, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 25, 2005, 17:00 local (23:00 UTC) - Place: Falcon, CO - Coordinates: 39.030673, -104.479782 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0307&lon=-104.4798&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed, report January 31, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 62350 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN05LA130 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/62350/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN05LA130 ## Probable cause the pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter while conducting a hovering maneuver. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, hover - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - Roll over, landing ## Analysis The pilot said he was conducting a hovering maneuver. He said everything was normal until the helicopter was in a 5 foot hover above the surface moving at a "fast walking pace". The helicopter descended to approximately 2 feet above the surface when the pilot pulled in more power to arrest the descent. The helicopter skipped off of the surface, the low-rotor warning light illuminated, and the aural horn sounded. The helicopter turned to the right, impacting the right skid, then bounced back to the left skid, and rolled over on its left side. The pilot stated that he could smell fuel so his passenger turned off the fuel switch while he turned off all electrical switches. He also stated that he could not get his seatbelt unbuckled because it was too close to the collective. He eventually ripped the collective up to release the seatbelt buckle. ## Factual narrative On August 25, 2005, approximately 1700 mountain daylight time, a Robinson R22, N777UH, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain at Meadow Lake Airport (00V), near Falcon, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 on a visual flight rules flight plan. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. The cross-country flight originated at Augusta, Kansas, at 1000, and was en route to Denver, Colorado. According to the pilot, he was conducting a hovering maneuver. He said everything was normal until the helicopter was in a 5 foot hover above the surface moving at a "fast walking pace". The helicopter descended to approximately 2 feet above the surface when the pilot pulled in more power to arrest the descent. The helicopter skipped off of the surface, the low-rotor warning light illuminated, and the aural horn sounded. The helicopter turned to the right, the right skid struck the ground, then bounced back on to its left skid, and rolled over on its left side. The pilot stated that he could smell fuel so his passenger turned off the fuel switch while he turned off all the electrical switches. He stated that he could not get his seatbelt unbuckled because it was too close to the collective. He eventually ripped the collective up to release the seatbelt buckle. According to an FAA inspector who traveled to the scene, both rotor blades were destroyed, the airframe was bent, the tail boom was twisted, both skids were bent, the firewall was buckled, the collective stop was broken, and the tail rotor shaft and flex plate were twisted. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N777UH](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N777UH), registered now, S/N 3548, built 2004 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Robinson R22 - Registry model: [Robinson Helicopter R22](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22) (registry code 7640102) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-series) (registry code 41575, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 3548 - Airframe hours: 270.2 - Engines: Lycoming 360 J2A 145 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Ferry, Part 91 - Registered owner: Sondrup Helicopters - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Unknown, August 1, 2005, 20.2 hours before - Departed: LIC, Limon, CO - Destination: 00V, Falcon, CO - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: 00V, Meadow Lake Airport ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 49; injuries: minor; private; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review August 1, 2005; seat: right; flight hours: 128 in this make and model - Other flight crew; age 24; injuries: minor; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 160 total, 50 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 10° at 17 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 30.18 inHg - Observed at: KCOS, 10 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20050825020059A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050825020059A), Aug 25, 2005: Robsin R22, Colorado Spring, CO, Substantial damage. (-23) On August 25, 2005, at 2300 UTC, N777UH, a Robinson R-22 beta helicopter, s/n 3648, piloted by [privacy data omitted] private pilot and owner, crashed on… ## Other investigations on N777UH (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB DEN04LA142](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN04LA142), Sep 14, 2004: Robinson R22 (N777UH), Spanish Fork, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: the instructor's premature flare, resulting in a hard landing, and his failure to align the helicopter with the direction of travel, resulting in a rollover.Contributing factors were the low rotor… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.