# NTSB GAA15CA147: Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta, N227FT, Kailua-Kona, HI, June 29, 2015 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: June 29, 2015, 08:25 local (18:25 UTC) - Place: Kailua-Kona, HI - Coordinates: 19.688888, -155.86444 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=19.6889&lon=-155.8644&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Loss of lift](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/500) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed, report September 30, 2015 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: General Aviation Accidents - Parties: FAA Honolulu FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 91463 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=GAA15CA147 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/91463/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=91463 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA15CA147 ## 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 NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Planning/preparation: performance calculations](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061010): Personnel issues › Task performance · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061010/cases.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 114 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061010/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: descent rate](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 9 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037/cases.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 242 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037/cases.md) - [Temp/humidity/pressure: high density altitude](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031020): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Contributed to outcome (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031020/cases.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 278 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Prior to flight: Preflight or dispatch event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/030); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/030/sequence.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 355 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/030/sequence.md) - [Landing: Other weather encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/400); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/400/sequence.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 1,127 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/400/sequence.md) - [Landing: Loss of lift](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/500) (defining event); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/500/sequence.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 252 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/500/sequence.md) - [Landing: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 67 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 85 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## 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](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N227FT-2018-06-21), registration cancelled 2018-06-21, S/N 3404, built 2003 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA (BETA) - Registry model: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (registry code 7640110) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O-360-J2A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-j2a) (registry code 42314, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 3404 - Year built: 2003 - Airframe hours: 5637.1 - Engines: 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 ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 26; injuries: minor; 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 - Student pilot; age 25; injuries: minor; 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 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20150629011749A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150629011749A), Jun 29, 2015: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, Kailua Kona, HI, Substantial damage. CFI was conducting pinnacle approaches at high altitude. CFI initiated shallow approach to pinnacle and slowed his forward airspeed to minimum as helicopter… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 11, 2015, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=91463. 792 KB in all. - Photo 1 – View of fuselage (photo courtesy of the FAA) (item 1, .PDF, 190 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40431704&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20%E2%80%93%20View%20of%20fuselage%20(photo%20courtesy%20of%20the%20FAA)-Master.PDF - Photo 2 – View of tail boom (photo courtesy of the FAA) (item 2, .PDF, 602 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40431705&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20%E2%80%93%20View%20of%20tail%20boom%20(photo%20courtesy%20of%20the%20FAA)-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.