- Date
- August 11, 2005, 12:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lantana, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8320ARobinson R22 Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20050811020719A
- Case key
- 62201
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 CFI's delayed remedial action to recover from a practice autorotation with planned power recovery resulting in a hard landing.
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 airplane landed hard during a practice autorotative landing. The CFI stated that the student had previously demonstrated two practice, straight-in autorotative landings which concluded with a power recovery, and entered a third at 700 feet above ground level (agl) and 70 knots, with the main rotor and engine rpm needles "split", and the throttle in the detent. The student maintained 65 knots during the approach, and flared at 40 feet agl. He (CFI) noted that the helicopter was drifting away from the taxiway centerline so he advised the student to recover. The helicopter was leveled, and he (CFI) applied throttle slowly. While descending, he heard the low rotor warning horn just before impact, and believed the student pulled collective control just before touchdown. The helicopter impacted the ground "hard" on left side, spun to the right, and came to rest upright. The CFI also stated that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the helicopter, or any of its systems. The student reported the flare was normal and the main rotor rpm was still in the green. When the helicopter was leveled off, "...before we could roll the throttle back on, the left skid make contact with the ground."
Factual narrative
On August 11, 2005, about 1215 eastern daylight time, a Robinson R22 Beta, N8320A, registered to a private individual, operated by Airman Testing & Training, Inc., dba Palm Beach Helicopters, experienced a hard landing during a practice autorotative landing at Palm Beach County Park Airport, Lantana, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 local, instructional flight from Palm Beach County Park Airport. The helicopter was substantially damaged and the certified flight instructor (CFI) and commercial-rated student (student) were not injured. The flight originated about 24 minutes earlier from Palm Beach County Park Airport.
The CFI stated that the student had previously demonstrated two practice, straight-in autorotative landings which concluded with a power recovery, and entered a third at 700 feet above ground level (agl) and 70 knots, with the main rotor and engine rpm needles "split", and the throttle in the detent. The student maintained 65 knots during the approach, and flared at 40 feet agl. He (CFI) noted that the helicopter was drifting away from the taxiway centerline so he advised the student to recover. The helicopter was leveled, and he (CFI) applied throttle slowly. While descending, he heard the low rotor warning horn just before impact, and believed the student pulled collective control just before touchdown. The helicopter impacted the ground "hard" on left side, spun to the right, and came to rest upright. The CFI also stated that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the helicopter, or any of its systems.
The student reported the flare was normal and the main rotor rpm was still in the green. When the helicopter was leveled off, "...before we could roll the throttle back on, the left skid make contact with the ground."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8320A
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2510
- Airframe hours
- 6,827
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Airman Testing & Training, Inc., doing business as Palm Beach Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Matthew Spitzer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 1, 2005 · 86 hours before
- Departed
- KLNA · Lantana, FL
- Destination
- KLNA · Lantana, FL
- Airport
- KLNA · Palm Beach County Park Airport
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
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2004
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,677 total · 1,543 in this make and model · 1,446 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 73 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 168 total · 102 in this make and model · 122 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KPBI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8320A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.