# NTSB LAX05LA278: Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta, N820SH, Los Banos, CA, March 26, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 26, 2005, 08:30 local (16:30 UTC) - Place: Los Banos, CA - Coordinates: 37.049999, -120.833335 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.0500&lon=-120.8333&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 25, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 62333 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX05LA278 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/62333/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=62333 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05LA278 ## Probable cause the instructor pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat during a simulated engine failure, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, descent - fuel system,carburetor - ice (cause) - emergency procedure - simulated, pilot in command(cfi) - weather condition - carburetor icing conditions (cause) - carburetor heat - not used, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - autorotation - continued, pilot in command(cfi) - Hard landing, emergency descent/landing - terrain condition - ground ## Analysis The helicopter made a hard landing following a loss of engine power during a practice autorotation. The instructor pilot reported that while in cruise he simulated a loss of engine power. The student, who was studying to become a flight instructor, initiated an autorotation to a field. When the instructor attempted to apply engine power following the practice autorotation, the engine "immediately quit." The instructor applied full collective to cushion the landing, but the helicopter landed hard in the field, structurally damaging the tail boom and the fuselage. Following the accident, the operator returned the helicopter to their facility and test ran the engine. No anomalies were noted, and they believed the conditions were suitable for the development of carburetor ice during the autorotation. Review of archived weather data for the day of the accident revealed the closest weather observation facility reported the temperature and dew point as 6 and 5 degrees Celsius, respectively. Plotting of those temperatures on a carburetor icing probability chart revealed that conditions likely existed for serious icing at any power setting. ## Factual narrative On March 26, 2005, about 0830 Pacific standard time, a Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC) R22 Beta, N820SH, impacted terrain following a loss of engine power during a practice autorotation near Los Banos, California. Silver State Helicopters, LLC., North Las Vegas, Nevada, operated the helicopter as an instructional flight under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The flight instructor and the commercial pilot student were not injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the cross-country flight that originated from Los Banos around 0800. The flight was destined for Gustine, California. The instructor pilot reported that shortly after departing Los Banos, he simulated a loss of engine power. The student, who was studying to become a flight instructor, initiated an autorotation to a field. When the instructor attempted to apply engine power following the practice autorotation, the engine "immediately quit." The instructor applied full collective to cushion the landing, but the helicopter landed hard in the field, structurally damaging the tail boom and the fuselage. Following the accident, the operator returned the helicopter to their facility and test ran the engine. No anomalies were noted, and they believed the conditions were suitable for the development of carburetor ice during the autorotation. Review of archived weather data for the day of the accident revealed the weather observation facility at the Merced Municipal Airport, which is 24 miles northeast of the accident site, reported the temperature and dew point as 6 and 5 degrees Celsius, respectively. Plotting of those temperatures on a carburetor icing probability chart revealed that conditions likely existed for serious icing at any power setting. The accident was reported to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Fresno Flight Standards District Office on August 23, 2005. FAA personnel informed the National Transportation Safety Board of the event on August 24, 2005. ## Aircraft - Registration: N820SH (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Beta - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 3772 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360 reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Silver State Helicopters LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: LSN, Los Banos, CA - Destination: 3O1, Gustine, CA ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 47; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; seat: right; flight hours: 2,045 total, 1,642 in this make and model, 1,940 as pilot in command - Student pilot; age 40; injuries: none; commercial; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 726 total, 168 in this make and model, 673 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 4 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 43 °F, dew point 41 °F - Altimeter: 30.23 inHg - Observed at: MCE, 24 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 20050326034249A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050326034249A), Mar 26, 2005: Robsin R22BETA, Los Banos, CA, Substantial damage. (-23) At approximately 0830 hours PST on 3/26/2005, Robinson R-22 beta helicopter, N820SH, sustained substantial damage when the engine failed during an… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 13, 2006, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=62333. 614 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 273 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40255991&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Carburetor Icing Probability Chart (item 2, .PDF, 341 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40243002&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Carburetor%20Icing%20Probability%20Chart-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.