- Date
- October 16, 2006, 12:10 local (18:10 UTC)
- Place
- Monticello, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N224VRRobinson R22 Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20061016022539A
- Case key
- 64774
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
an airframe vibration for reasons undetermined, resulting in the pilot performing a precautionary landing, and obstacle clearance not possible.
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 said he was cruising at 8,500 feet msl (mean sea level) and at 65 KIAS (knots indicated airspeed) when he experienced a "slight yaw oscillation." He decided to make a precautionary landing and initiated a descent. The oscillations increased to about one yaw per second. Before reaching the selected landing site, the "low-rotor RPM horn/light activated. When the pilot lowered the collective control to recover, he got an engine and rotor overspeed indication of 110 per cent. The pilot made a 180-degree turn and autorotated from 800 feet agl. The helicopter landed on rocky terrain, surrounded by pinon and juniper trees. Main and tail rotor and tail rotor blades struck the trees, separating the tail rotor blades and gearbox from the tail boom. According to the helicopter manufacturer, nothing was found that would explain the oscillations described by the pilot, or why the low-rotor RPM horn/light activated.
Factual narrative
On October 16, 2006, approximately 1210 mountain daylight time, a Robinson R22BETA, N224VR, registered to and piloted by an airline transport certificated pilot, was substantially damaged when the helicopter struck some scrub trees and terrain following uncontrollable yaw oscillations while in cruise flight approximately 18 miles northeast of Monticello, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The business flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant aboard, was not injured. The local flight originated at Dove Creek, Colorado, approximately 1150, and was en route to Lisbon Valley, Utah.
According to the pilot's accident report and a verbal statement he gave to an FAA inspector, he was cruising at 8,500 feet msl (mean sea level) and at 65 KIAS (knots indicated airspeed) when he experienced a "slight yaw oscillation." The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing and initiated a descent. The oscillations increased to about one yaw per second. Before reaching the selected landing site, the "low-rotor RPM horn/light activated. When the pilot lowered the collective control to recover, he got an engine and rotor overspeed indication of 110 per cent. The pilot made a 180-degree turn and autorotated from 800 feet agl. The helicopter landed on rocky terrain, surrounded by pinon and juniper trees. Post-accident examination revealed the main rotor and tail rotor blades had struck trees. The tail rotor blades and gearbox separated from the tail boom.
According to a Robinson Helicopters repairman, he had found nothing that would explain the oscillations described by the pilot, or why the low-rotor RPM horn/light activated.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N224VR
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3038
- Airframe hours
- 1,472
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cady L. Johnson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2005 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- 8V6 · Dove Creek, CO
- Destination
- NONE · Lisbon Valley, UT
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2005
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,832 total · 1,143 in this make and model · 3,641 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.