- Date
- March 7, 1983, 18:25 local (Mar 8, 1983, 00:25 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Prairie, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8373JRobinson R22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830307007549A
- Case key
- 20709
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt & flt examiner were on an evaluation flt after the plt's flt instructor had recommended him for a CFI check flt. To demonstrate a hovering autorotation, the plt had selected an area of soft turf that slopted downhill. The examiner stated that after the plt closed the throttle, the helicopter descended normally; however, the plt applied excessive collective pitch. The examiner reported that at the moment of touchdown, the helicopter responded to collective input, came off the ground in a nose low attitude, then touched down on the toes of the skids rolled & over. Reportedly, the examiner grabbed for the cyclic in an instinctive effort to regain control of the helicopter, but missed the handle due to the unique control configuration of acft. The plt's helicopter training had been in 2 Robinson R22'S, the newer of which was equipped with the heavier HP rotor blades. The HP blades had a different affect on the helicopter's response & flt characteristics during autorotations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8373J
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 318
- Airframe hours
- 212
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 124 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Coker Helicopters
- Registered owner
- James & Larry Coker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 3, 1983 · 10 hours before
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- F67 · Grand Prairie
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
- 22
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 909 total · 38 in this make and model · 835 as pilot in command · 208 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 10 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8373J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.