- Date
- February 2, 2000, 14:37 local (22:37 UTC)
- Place
- Palo Alto, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N999EVRobinson R44
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000202005239A
- Case key
- 48581
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 pilot's failure to use carburetor heat, resulting in a loss of engine power, and, his misjudged autorotation approach that resulted in a collision with the ground during the landing flare. Contributing to the accident was the conditions conducive to carburetor icing.
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 pilot and passenger were inbound to land and the pilot requested permission to perform an autorotation, which was approved. The pilot reported that he did not think he was going to reach the runway during the autorotation so he added power. The engine failed to respond and the tail stinger contacted the ground resulting in the separation of the tail boom. The pilot pulled collective pitch; the helicopter briefly became airborne, and spun violently to the right. The pilot maintained a level attitude and the helicopter landed hard. After the rotor stopped, they exited the helicopter. The pilot stated that he should have used carburetor heat prior to the extended engine idle period of the autorotation. The temperature and dew point were in the serious icing-glide power range.
Factual narrative
On February 2, 2000, at 1437 hours Pacific standard time, a Robinson R44, helicopter, N999EV, was substantially damaged during a practice autorotation at Palo Alto, California. Neither the commercial rated pilot nor the passenger was injured. The personal flight was operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91. No flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the operation that originated at San Carlos, California, at 1427.
The pilot reported that during the autorotation the engine had been at idle for an extended period. He said he did not think he was going to make the runway so he added power. The engine failed to respond and the tail stinger contacted the ground, resulting in the separation of the tail boom. The pilot pulled collective pitch; the helicopter briefly became airborne and spun violently to the right. The pilot maintained the helicopter in a level attitude and the landed hard. After the main rotor stopped rotating, the pilot and passenger exited the helicopter.
The pilot told the Federal Aviation Administration inspector on scene that he did not use carburetor heat during the autorotation. According to the Palo Alto METAR, the temperature was 64 degrees Fahrenheit and the dew point was 52 degrees Fahrenheit. Reference to a carburetor icing probability chart revealed that this temperature and dew point were in an area of the graph annotated "moderate icing-cruise power or serious icing-glide power."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N999EV
- Reported as
- Robinson R44
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0667
- Airframe hours
- 94
- Engine
- Lycoming 0540-F105, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gary Lampert
- Registered owner
- Gary M. Lampert
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SQL · San Carlos, CA
- Destination
- PAO · Palo Alto, CA
- Airport
- PAO · Palo Alto, runway 30, 2,500 × 65 ft, asphalt
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
- 49
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 95 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PAO
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 17, 2001, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 831 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.