- Date
- January 26, 2021, 17:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N474ATRobinson R22
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA -IFO, FAA - AVP100
- FAA report
- 20210126001979A
- Case key
- 102569
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 examiner’s failure to arrest the helicopter descent during a simulated engine failure maneuver and the flight instructor’s inadequate remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 3
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
The purpose of the flight was for the examiner to conduct an examination of the assistant chief flight instructor applicant in a helicopter. The last maneuver that they were testing for the day was an engine failure on takeoff. The examiner assumed control of the helicopter from the flight instructor and began the takeoff. He asked the flight instructor to guard the flight controls before he announced a simulated engine failure and initiated the glide phase of the autorotation. When the examiner attempted to arrest the rate of descent by increasing engine power, he was unable to stop the helicopter prior to it impacting the ground. During the landing the helicopter’s skids and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilots reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N474AT
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 (BETA)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2889
- Built
- 1998
- Airframe hours
- 6,459.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Palm Beach Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Airmen Testing & Training Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 3, 2020 · 44 hours before
- Airport
- LNA · Palm Beach County Park Airport
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display, Onboard weather
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
- Check pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 18, 2020
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,082 total · 1,512 in this make and model · 2,981 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 22, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,346 total · 1,175 in this make and model · 1,262 as pilot in command · 156 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- LNA
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 13, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 12.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.