# NTSB LAX07CA050: Robinson R22B, N7198N, Redding, CA, November 27, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: November 27, 2006, 11:30 local (19:30 UTC) - Place: Redding, CA - Coordinates: 40.51472, -122.300003 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.5147&lon=-122.3000&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 26, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 64959 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX07CA050 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/64959/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX07CA050 ## Probable cause The student's misjudged landing flare, the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight, and the instructor's failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - autorotation - performed, dual student - flare - misjudged, dual student (cause) - supervision - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - rotor rpm - not maintained, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) ## Analysis The helicopter touched down hard at the culmination of a practice autorotation. During the instructional flight lesson, the certified flight instructor (CFI) monitored his student's flying. The student had about 15 hours of total helicopter flying experience. The CFI reported that the student initiated the landing flare about 40 feet above ground level (agl). According to the CFI, when the helicopter was about 10 feet agl he took over the controls, raised the collective, and rolled on the throttle to initiate a power recovery. The helicopter's low rotor warning horn sounded and the respective annunciator light illuminated. Thereafter, the helicopter contacted the ground, bounced, and came to rest after making two complete rotations about its vertical axis. The tailboom and vertical stabilizer were bent during the ground impact sequence. No mechanical malfunction or failure was reported to have occurred. ## Factual narrative On November 27, 2006, about 1130 Pacific standard time, a Robinson R22B, N7198N, touched down hard during a practice autorotation about 0.5 miles northwest of the Redding Municipal Airport, Redding, California. The helicopter was operated by Air Shasta Rotor & Wing, LLC, Redding, and it was substantially damaged. Neither the certificated flight instructor (CFI) nor the student pilot was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and it originated from Redding about 1115. On November 28, the CFI verbally reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that the helicopter was functioning normally during the flight. He was monitoring his student's flying, and he instructed his student to perform a practice autorotation. The CFI stated that his student did not perform the maneuver correctly; he initiated the landing flare about 40 feet above ground level (agl). The CFI additionally indicated that despite his effort to perform a normal touchdown and/or recovery, the helicopter's low rotor warning horn sounded and the respective annunciator light illuminated. Thereafter, the helicopter contacted the ground, bounced, and came to rest after making two complete rotations about its vertical axis. During this event the tail boom and vertical stabilizer bent. In the CFI's completed "Aircraft Accident Report," he reiterated that during the flight he had not experienced any mechanical malfunction or failure with the helicopter. According to the CFI, when the helicopter was about 10 feet above ground level he took over the controls, raised the collective, and rolled on the throttle to perform a power recovery. The CFI and the student had about 285 and 15 hours of helicopter flying experience, respectively. Also, the CFI had given a total of 38 hours of rotorcraft instruction, of which 15 hours were given in the Robinson R22. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7198N](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7198N), registered now, S/N 3168, built 2001 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Robinson R22B - Registry model: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (registry code 7640110) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 3168 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-J2A reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Air Shasta Rotor & Wing, LLC - Registered owner: Aero Leasing, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: RDD, Redding, CA - Destination: RDD, Redding, CA - Airport: RDD, Redding Municipal ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 25; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; medical: class 2; flight hours: 287 total, 245 in this make and model, 62 in the last 90 days, 17 in the last 30 days - Student pilot; age 36; injuries: none; student; medical: class 2; flight hours: 15 total, 9 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 180° at 11 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 57 °F ## 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 20061127027519A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20061127027519A), Nov 27, 2006: Robsin R22BETA, Redding, CA, Substantial damage. (-23) On November 27, 2006, about 1130 pacific standard time, a Robinson R22B, N7198N, touched down hard during a practice autorotation about 0.5 miles… 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.