- Date
- July 31, 2007, 14:40 local (20:40 UTC)
- Place
- Erie, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7508YRobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- Case key
- 66356
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 student pilot's failure to maintain rotor rpm resulting in a loss of aircraft control during a simulated 180 degree auto-rotation. Contributing to the accident was the inadequate flight status supervision by the flight instructor and the student pilot's inadequate recovery procedures.
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 flight instructor, he and his private pilot student were conducting a "currency flight" and the instructor had just finished demonstrating a 180 degree autorotation. The student was performing a second 180 degree autorotation. The instructor stated that at 200 feet above ground level, the student brought power on; however, the rotor rpm was low. The instructor stated that the student brought the "collective up" and the rotor rpm continued to drop. The helicopter impacted the runway in a "high rate of descent", resulting in substantial damage. The instructor reported no anomalies with the helicopter or its systems. An examination of the helicopter's systems revealed no anomalies.
Factual narrative
According to a telephone conversation and the Pilot Aircraft Accident report submitted by the flight instructor, he and his private pilot student were conducting a "currency flight" and the instructor had just finished demonstrating a 180 degree autorotation. The student was performing a second 180 degree autorotation. The instructor stated that at 200 feet above ground level, the student brought power on; however, the rotor rpm was low. The instructor stated that the student brought the "collective up" and the rotor rpm continued to drop. The helicopter impacted the runway in a "high rate of descent", spreading both landing skids out laterally and "denting" the tail boom. The instructor reported no anomalies with the helicopter or its systems. An examination of the helicopter's systems, conducted by the FAA, revealed no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7508Y
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3757
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Premier Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Matthew Spitzer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KBJC · Broomfield, CO
- Destination
- KBJC · Broomfield, CO
- Airport
- KEIK · Erie Municipal Airport, runway 15, 4,700 × 60 ft, 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2007
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 67 total · 22 in this make and model · 25 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2005
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 998 total · 771 in this make and model · 914 as pilot in command · 188 in the last 90 days · 58 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KBJC, 7 nm away
Other investigations on N7508Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.