- Date
- June 29, 2015, 08:25 local (18:25 UTC)
- Place
- Kailua-Kona, HI
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N227FTRobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA Honolulu FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150629011749A
- Case key
- 91463
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 flight instructor's decision to conduct a high altitude pinnacle landing without adequate power, which resulted in the helicopter impacting terrain during the approach. Contributing to the accident was the density altitude at the high altitude pinnacle landing site.
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 flight instructor reported that high altitude pinnacle landings were being conducted with the pilot receiving instruction. He reported that the approach was made to a pinnacle landing site with an elevation of "roughly 8000 feet" mean sea level (MSL). The flight instructor reported that "as we got closer to the ground and to the spot (around 5-6ft above the ground with a descent rate of around 100ft/min) the rotor rpm began to droop and we started to descend." He reported that he tried to increase airspeed and go-around and that, "this made us descend further and the gradient of the down sloping terrain was not sufficient for us to avoid ground contact." The helicopter skidded forward on the ground, the right skid caught terrain, and the helicopter rolled over on its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and to the tail boom. The density altitude for the accident area was calculated and exceeded the in ground effect ceiling and out of ground effect ceiling values provided by the flight instructor for the accident area. The flight instructor verified that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that high altitude pinnacle landings were being conducted with the pilot receiving instruction. He reported that the approach was made to a pinnacle landing site with an elevation of "roughly 8000 feet" mean sea level (MSL). The flight instructor reported that "as we got closer to the ground and to the spot (around 5-6ft above the ground with a descent rate of around 100ft/min) the rotor rpm began to droop and we started to descend." He reported that he tried to increase airspeed and go-around and that, "this made us descend further and the gradient of the down sloping terrain was not sufficient for us to avoid ground contact." The helicopter skidded forward on the ground, the right skid caught terrain, and the helicopter rolled over on its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and to the tail boom. The density altitude for the accident area was calculated and exceeded the in ground effect ceiling and out of ground effect ceiling values provided by the flight instructor for the accident area. The flight instructor verified that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The altitude for the latitude and longitude coordinates provided for the high altitude pinnacle landing site was determined to be 8269 feet MSL, at the top of a volcano.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N227FT
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta (BETA)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3404
- Built
- 2003
- Airframe hours
- 5,637.1
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hawaii Pacific Aviation
- Registered owner
- Greenspun Philip G
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 9, 2015
- Departed
- KOA · Kailua-Kona, HI
- Destination
- KOA · Kailua-Kona, HI
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
- 26
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,040 total · 855 in this make and model · 961 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 155.3 total · 136 in this make and model · 81.9 as pilot in command · 45.7 in the last 90 days · 16.1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- PHKO, 11 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 11, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 792 KB 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.