- Date
- March 15, 2008, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Horseshoe Bay, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N489TJRobinson R22 Beta
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080315014489A
- Case key
- 67674
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 certified flight instructor's delay in taking remedial action which resulted in an unsuccessful autorotation.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During a flight review the private pilot completed three practice autorotations to an unimproved open field, terminating in a power recovery. During the fourth practice autorotation the pilot could not get the engine to respond during the power recovery. The flight instructor took over the controls, at about 100 feet above ground level, and completed the autorotation to a touchdown. According to the flight instructor, he had to flare steeply to avoid a tree line. The helicopter touched down on the heels of the skids and tail stinger. The aft section of the tail boom separated from the helicopter when the main rotor blades contacted the tail boom and the tail rotor assembly. The pilot said the flight instructor initiated an aggressive flare and struck the ground hard, and that there was a violent shudder as the helicopter leveled the skids. The helicopter came to rest upright. There was no post crash fire. The pilot reported a minor injury and the flight instructor reported no injuries. An examination of the helicopter's engine by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies; additionally they reported that more than a half tank of fuel remained in the helicopter at the accident site.
Factual narrative
During a flight review the private pilot completed three practice autorotations to an unimproved open field, terminating in a power recovery. During the forth practice autorotation the pilot could not get the engine to respond during the power recovery. The flight instructor took over the controls, at about 100 feet above ground level, and completed the autorotation to a touchdown. According to the flight instructor, he had to flare steeply to avoid a tree line. The helicopter touched down on the heels of the skids and tail stinger. The aft section of the tail boom separated from the helicopter when the main rotor blades contacted the tail boom and the tail rotor assembly. The pilot said the flight instructor initiated an aggressive flare and struck the ground hard, and that there was a violent shudder as the helicopter leveled the skids. The helicopter came to rest upright. There was no post crash fire. The pilot reported a minor injury and the flight instructor reported no injuries. An examination of the helicopter's engine by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies; additionally they reported that more than a half tank of fuel remained in the helicopter at the accident site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N489TJ
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3024
- Airframe hours
- 660
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Kent Leighton
- Registered owner
- Rototool LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2007 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- Marble Falls, TX
- Destination
- Marble Falls, TX
- Airport
- 4XS7 · Horseshoe Bay
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 455 total · 163 in this make and model · 26 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2006
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,050 total · 238 in this make and model · 864 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- KBMQ, 14 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.