- Date
- September 27, 1987, 12:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Las Cruces, NM
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N47RWRobinson R-22M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870927056539A
- Case key
- 17314
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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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
A CFI and a private plt were ferrying a newly purchased helicopter to their home airport. During a fuel stop, while on a visual approach, the helicopter encountered windshear. The density altitude was 8000 feet, and the helicopter was at or near max gross wt. The plt reported adding additional collective pitch to try to counter a high rate of descent. The low rotor RPM warning sounded just prior to touchdown. A hard landing with forward airspeed resulted. The helicopter nosed over and the main rotor contacted the terrain, then severed the tail boom. The helicopter rolled left and came to rest on the left side.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N47RW
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22M
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 689
- Airframe hours
- 26
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 131 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Ronnie Wright
- Registered owner
- Ronnie G. Wright
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 27, 1987 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- P33 · Wilcox, AZ
- Airport
- LRU · Las Cruces International
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 401 total · 401 in this make and model · 319 as pilot in command · 116 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.