- Date
- December 12, 2002, 14:23 local (19:23 UTC)
- Place
- Suffolk, VA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9444YRobinson R-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20021212037829A
- Case key
- 56194
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 pilot's inadequate visual lookout while landing, which resulted in a collision with an embankment.
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
While demonstrating an autorotation at a golf course driving range, the tail rotor struck a driving range tee box, and the helicopter rolled onto its left side.
Factual narrative
On December 12, 2002, at 1423 eastern standard time, a Robinson R-22, N9444Y, was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground during a practice autorotation, near Suffolk, Virginia. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured, and the passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, he was demonstrating an autorotation for the passenger. The maneuver was performed to a golf course driving range. During the flare for touchdown, the tail rotor struck a driving range tee box, and the helicopter rolled onto its left side.
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage after the accident. He observed both main rotor blades were damaged and the tail rotor gearbox had separated from the tail boom.
The pilot reported 709 hours of total flight experience in Robinson R-22's.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9444Y
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2965
- Airframe hours
- 634
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wright Associates Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 2, 2002 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- PVG · Norfolk, VA
- Destination
- PHF · Newport News, VA
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 76
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 14, 2002
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,079 total · 709 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 40° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- SFQ, 12 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.