- Date
- June 16, 2008, 18:30 local (Jun 17, 2008, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Philomath, OR
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4000YRobinson R-22 Beta
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080616838359A
- Case key
- 68244
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 student pilot's failure to maintain rotor rpm during a pinnacle approach and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action and inadequate supervision of the flight. Contributing to the accident was the downdraft weather condition.
Findings · 5
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 he was flying an instructional cross-country flight with a student. They stopped for fuel at an airport near sea level and were returning to their home base. When they departed, the wind was from 300 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 20 knots. They decided to do a pinnacle landing to a 4,060-foot mountain. As the student approached the peak for landing, a downdraft was encountered. The main rotor disk low rpm indicators activated, and the flight instructor took the controls and attempted to salvage the situation. The helicopter's landing skid impacted terrain, and the aircraft rolled twice down the mountain. The flight instructor and student exited with minor injuries.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that he was flying an instructional cross-country flight with a student. They stopped for fuel (elevation 250 feet) and were returning to their home base. When they departed, the wind was from 300 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 20 knots. They decided to do a pinnacle landing to a 4,060-foot mountain. As the student approached the peak for landing, a downdraft was encountered. The main rotor disk low rpm indicators activated, and the flight instructor took the controls and attempted to salvage the situation. The helicopter's landing skid impacted terrain, and the aircraft rolled twice down the mountain. The flight instructor and student exited with minor injuries.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4000Y
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1367
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hillsboro Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CVO · Corvallis, OR
- Destination
- TTD · Troutdale, OR
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
- 22
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 1,230 total · 1,215 in this make and model · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 115 total · 115 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 16 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- CVO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.