- Date
- June 17, 1991, 08:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4034KRobinson R-22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 7, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910617022389A
- Case key
- 27251
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 failure of the student to maintain the proper rotor RPM while performing a practice autorotation, and, the failure of the flight instructor to properly supervise the conduct of the flight and to take timely corrective action.
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 instructor said that the student was performing autorotations with power recoveries. The instructor stated that during the last autorotation she heard the low rotor speed warning horn and initiated a throttle increase to recover. According to the instructor, the engine and rotor failed to respond to the throttle increase and the helicopter landed hard. A post crash fire ignited and consumed the aircraft. FAA inspectors examined the wreckage and found no evidence of a pre impact mechanical malfunction or failure in the surviving components.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4034K
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1515
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Arizona Wing And Rotor, Inc
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- SDL · Scottsdale, AZ
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
- 25
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 222 total · 222 in this make and model · 186 as pilot in command · 66 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.