# NTSB NYC00LA105: Robinson R-22B, N2260W, Keene, NH, March 27, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 27, 2000, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC) - Place: Keene, NH - Location: 42.8984° N, 72.2708° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at DILLANT/HOPKINS (EEN), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.8984&lon=-72.2708&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 29, 2000 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 51272 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC00LA105 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/51272/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC00LA105 ## Probable cause The CFI's failure to perform remedial action in a timely manner which resulted in a hard landing during the practice autorotation. A factor in this accident was the CFI's lack of total experience as a flight instructor. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - autorotation - performed, pilot in command - remedial action - delayed, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - lack of total experience in type operation, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) ## Analysis The CFI was providing flight instruction to the commercial pilot, who was training for a CFI rating. While practicing an auto-rotation, the commercial pilot landed hard. The helicopter's main rotor severed the tail boom, and the helicopter rolled onto its left side. The CFI stated he failed to react soon enough to prevent the accident. The CFI reported 1,180 hours of total flight experience, of which 497 hours were in rotorcraft, with 279 hours in the make and model of the accident helicopter. Additionally, the CFI reported 40 hours of flight time as a flight instructor. ## Factual narrative On March 27, 2000, about 1400 Eastern Standard Time, a Robinson R-22B, a helicopter, N2260W, was substantially damaged while landing at the Dillant-Hopkins Airport, Keene, New Hampshire. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and commercial pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The CFI stated he was providing flight instruction to the commercial pilot, who was training for a CFI rating. According to the CFI, the commercial pilot was practicing an autorotation to Runway 20. The CFI further stated: "As [the helicopter] approached approximately 50 feet above the runway, [the commercial pilot] started the cyclic flare, the helicopter nose pitched up and all seemed quite normal. As the flare was held, it appeared that we were starting to fall through the bottom. I failed to react soon enough to this situation and the helicopter contacted the ground landing on the aft portion of the skids...." The helicopter's main rotor severed the tail boom, and the helicopter rolled onto its left side. The pilots did not report any mechanical problems with the helicopter. The CFI reported 1,180 hours of total flight experience, of which 497 hours were in rotorcraft, with 279 hours in the make and model of the accident helicopter. Additionally, the CFI reported 40 hours of flight time as a flight instructor. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2260W](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2260W-2013-04-02), registration cancelled 2013-04-02, S/N 0501, built 1985 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Robinson R-22B - Registry model: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (registry code 7640110) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 0501 - Engines: Lycoming O-320 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Green River Aviation - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: EEN - Airport: EEN, Dillant-Hopkins Airport, runway 20, 6,201 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 50; private, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: right; flight hours: 1,180 total, 279 in this make and model, 1,128 as pilot in command, 56 in the last 90 days, 35 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 180° at 10 knots, gusting 19 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 57 °F, dew point 25 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: EEN ## 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 20000327043259A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000327043259A), Mar 27, 2000: Robsin R22BETA, Keene, NH, Destroyed. (-23) Auto-rotation practice corrective flight action not taken at the appropriate time to prevent accident. 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.