# NTSB MIA02LA074: Robinson R-22, N7187J, Coral Springs, FL, March 26, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 26, 2002 - Place: Coral Springs, FL - Coordinates: 26.378889, -80.107223 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.3789&lon=-80.1072&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 28, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 54405 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA02LA074 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54405/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54405 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA02LA074 ## Probable cause The instructor's too high flare during an autorotational landing, resulting in a hard touchdown and rollover. Factors contributing to the accident were the instructor's nonperformance of a preflight brief concerning procedures and techniques for a simulated engine failure, the student's not removing total rotorcraft control when the instructor announced, "my controls", and the selection of unsuitable terrain for landing by the instructor. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - preflight planning/preparation - not performed, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) - control interference - not removed, dual student (contributing factor) - level off - high, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - Roll over, landing - flare/touchdown - unsuitable terrain or takeoff/landing/taxi area - selected, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) ## Analysis According to the instructor, he wanted to finish off the rotorcraft instructional flight with a practice forced landing to a power recovery at 500 feet agl. He did not disarm the engine governor, and the student rolled the throttle to the detent and held it there when the instructor announced, "engine failure". When the instructor tried to ease on throttle, he felt resistance and interpreted the condition as a real engine failure and announced, "my controls". The combination of choosing a landing spot with too high grass and uneven, soft terrain, together with the student continuing to handle the collective control resulted in a too high flare and hard touchdown and rollover. ## Factual narrative On March 26, 2002, about 1715 eastern standard time, a Robinson R-22, N7187J, registered to Pompano Helicopters, Inc., operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, crashed in the vicinity of Coral Springs, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The rotorcraft received substantial damage, and the flight instructor and private-rated student were not injured. The rotorcraft departed Pompano Beach Airpark about 1 hour before the accident. According to the flight instructor, he wanted to end the training flight by having the student pilot perform a forced landing maneuver with a power recovery at 500 feet agl. He stated he had to say, "engine failure" three times before the student pilot entered an autorotation. He does not remember if he turned the governor off or not. He remained lightly on the controls with the student, and at about 400 to 500 feet agl, he, (the instructor) tried to ease in throttle, but could not get throttle response, and interpreted the condition as a real engine failure. He told the student, "my controls" and assumed rotorcraft control. In the flare, he realized the height of the grass was about 6 feet high instead of the usual 2 to 3 inches, and the touchdown area was very soft and uneven. Additionally, he realized the student was still on the collective controls, and it was being raised prematurely. The result was a hard touchdown, a bounce, a slight forward slide, and the rotorcraft rolled over onto its nose. The two occupants exited the rotorcraft under their own power. According to both the owner/operator and the chief pilot of the flight school after inspection of the rotorcraft and debriefing the instructor, the training flight was the first occasion that the instructor and the commercial-rating trainee were paired up. The proper techniques and procedures for a simulated engine failure were not briefed prior to commencement of the training flight. The engine governor was not turned off prior to announcing, "engine failure" to the trainee. The trainee rolled the throttle into the detent to keep the rpm needles split, and held it there without the instructor detecting that he had done so. Had the instructor detected that the trainee had positioned the throttle in the detent and was holding it there, he would have realized what was causing the lack of throttle response, and that there was no engine failure. According to an FAA inspector, because of the throttle resistance to movement, both instructor and student were convinced they had an engine failure. The instructor took control, performed a real autorotation, but failed to maintain main rotor rpm and selected a tall grass area for landing. Consequently, the rotorcraft made ground contact and rolled over causing damage to the main rotor, tail boom, and cockpit glass. ## Aircraft - Registration: N7187J (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Robinson R-22 - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 3042 - Airframe hours: 2199 - Engines: Lycoming HO-360 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Pompano Helicopters, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 20, 2002, 27 hours before - Departed: PMP, Pompano Beach, FL ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 29; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review July 31, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 460 total, 460 in this make and model, 425 as pilot in command, 227 in the last 90 days, 78 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 27; injuries: none; private; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review December 12, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 134 total, 134 in this make and model, 78 as pilot in command, 65 in the last 90 days, 25 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 120° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 30.01 inHg - Observed at: PMP, 8 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 20020326014439A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020326014439A), Mar 26, 2002: Robsin R22BETA, Pompano Beach, FL, No damage. (-23) The CFI stated that while practicing a forced landing with power recovery, he did not turn the governor off. The trainee entered auto-rotation and rolled… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 2, 2002, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54405. 426 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 327 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40395548&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Reports from Federal Agencies - FAA Inspector's Statement (item 2, .PDF, 46 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40395549&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Reports%20from%20Federal%20Agencies%20-%20FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - Other Pertinent Forms and Reports - Chief Pilot's Statement (item 3, .PDF, 53 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40395550&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Other%20Pertinent%20Forms%20and%20Reports%20-%20Chief%20Pilot%27s%20Statement-Redacted.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.