- Date
- May 15, 1986, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Aircraft
- N9072YRobinson R22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860515018019A
- Case key
- 25160
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 helicopter landed hard after a practice autorotation with a power recovery. At aprx 550 ft AGL the CFI announced a simulated eng failure to the ATP and the throttle was closed to flight idle. The ATP entered an autorotation smoothly and turned left rapidly into the wind. During the turn the rotor RPM began to increase and the CFI increased the collective to maintain rotor RPM within limits and then reduced it. The the ATP began to decelerate at 300 ft AGL and airspeed began to decrease. At 55 KTS indicated airspeed, the CFI called for a power recovery. The rotor RPM began to decrease and the CFI got on the controls and attempted to execute a power recovery. The ATP had a tight grip on the throttle in the override position. The CFI was unable to twist the throttle to the positive range position. At 100 ft AGL the CFI noticed low rotor RPM and an excessive rate of descent. The CFI flared the acft and attempted to cushion the landing but the acft landed hard.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9072Y
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 214
- Airframe hours
- 1,238
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Edward J. Dugan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 28, 1986 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- TUS · Tucson, AZ
- Airport
- RYN · Ryan Field
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,020 total · 1,920 in this make and model · 4,631 as pilot in command · 175 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TUS, 17 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.