# NTSB NYC08LA078: Robinson R22 Beta, N179SH, North Palm Bch, FL, January 8, 2008 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 8, 2008, 16:23 local (21:23 UTC) - Place: North Palm Bch, FL - Coordinates: 26.831666, -80.03833 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.8317&lon=-80.0383&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report May 12, 2009 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Lycoming Textron, FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 67353 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC08LA078 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/67353/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=67353 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC08LA078 ## Probable cause A loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. Contributing to the accident was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Terrain: water](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021020): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021020/cases.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 97 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021020/cases.md) - [Temp/humidity/pressure: conducive to carburetor icing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on equipment (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 9 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030/cases.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 435 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Fuel related](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190/sequence.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 361 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190/sequence.md) - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) (defining event); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Ditching](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/441); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/441/sequence.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 186 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/441/sequence.md) ## Analysis The helicopter was transitioning along a beach at 500 feet and 80 knots. The certificated student pilot had just contacted an air traffic control tower when the engine appeared to lose power. The student pilot raised the collective, but the situation "worsened," and he noticed a slight yaw. The student pilot then lowered the collective, and turned the helicopter left, into the wind. He subsequently completed an autorotation into the surf. The student pilot noted that prior to the loss of engine power, he didn't notice any unusual vibrations or noises, but did notice a "significant loss of power which resulted in an immediate loss of altitude." He also noted that it felt like "the sinking and yawing one experiences when settling with power." A postflight examination of the helicopter revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Utilizing the ambient temperature and dew point, a carburetor icing probability chart produced by the National Research Council of Canada indicated a probability of "serious icing at glide power," while another chart in the FAA's Tips on Winter Flying pamphlet indicated that carburetor icing conditions bordered between "serious icing - glide power" and "light icing - glide or cruise power." ## Factual narrative On January 8, 2008, at 1623 eastern standard time, a Robinson R22 Beta, N179SH, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in North Palm Beach, Florida. The certificated student pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the flight from Witham Field (SUA), Stuart, Florida, to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The solo instructional flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to the student pilot, he was on the return leg of a cross country trip. After he first landed in Stuart, he confirmed the fuel quantity without reducing rpm. Before taking off again, he performed preflight checks, including a magneto check, sprag clutch check, carburetor heat check, and low rotor rpm check. With all warning lights out and all gauges "in the green," he departed toward Fort Lauderdale. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the student pilot reported that he was transitioning south along the beach at 500 feet and 80 knots. He had just received a discrete transponder code from the West Palm Beach Air Traffic Control Tower, when the helicopter appeared to lose power. The student pilot raised the collective, but the situation "worsened," and he noticed a slight yaw. The student pilot then lowered the collective, and turned the helicopter left, into the wind. He subsequently completed an autorotation into the surf. The student pilot noted that prior to the loss of engine power, he didn't notice any unusual vibrations or noises, but did notice a "significant loss of power which resulted in an immediate loss of altitude." He also noted that it felt like "the sinking and yawing one experiences when settling with power." The helicopter came to rest upright on top of a coral reef, initially about 40 feet from the shoreline. With a rising tide, the helicopter became submerged up to the main rotor mast. The helicopter was subsequently recovered to the operator's facility. Removal from the water revealed that the skids were spread, the fuselage was crushed upward, and the pilot's seat structure was collapsed downward. The main rotor blades remained attached, but buckled spanwise, and the tail rotor blades were fractured. The Lycoming O-360-series engine remained attached to the airframe and did not exhibit any external evidence of malfunction. On January 16, 2008, an FAA inspector and a Lycoming air safety investigator decontaminated the engine by draining of the oil sump, and removing the spark plugs and valve cover to purge water. The engine was then flushed with jet fuel, and penetrating oil was sprayed into the cylinders in order to stave off corrosion. On January 22, 2008, the FAA inspector, with the Lycoming air safety investigator, examined the engine, and found no preaccident mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation. In addition, "aviation fuel" was found was found within all lines and components forward of the gascolater. Spark plugs were examined, and "exhibited combustion deposits consistent with normal operation." The FAA inspector also stated that the helicopter's drive belts were in place, and he did not note any preaccident mechanical anomalies with the helicopter. Weather, recorded at a nearby airport at 1653, included a few clouds at 4,000 feet, winds from 090 degrees true at 9 knots, temperature 23 degrees Celsius, dew point 13 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.17 inches Hg. Utilizing the ambient temperature and dew point, a carburetor icing probability chart produced by the National Research Council of Canada indicated a probability of "serious icing at glide power," while another chart in the FAA's Tips on Winter Flying pamphlet indicated that carburetor icing conditions bordered between "serious icing - glide power" and "light icing - glide or cruise power." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N179SH](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N179SH-2018-01-11), registration cancelled 2018-01-11, S/N 4193, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Robinson R22 Beta - Registry model: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (registry code 7640110) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O-360-J2A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-j2a) (registry code 42314, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 4193 - Airframe hours: 521 - Engines: Lycoming O-360 124 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Silver State Helicopters LLC - Registered owner: Silver State Helicopters LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, December 31, 2007, 28 hours before - Departed: SUA, Stuart, FL - Destination: FXE, Fort Lauderdale, FL ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Student pilot; age 39; injuries: serious; student; medical: class 2; seat: right; flight hours: 61 total, 61 in this make and model, 5 as pilot in command, 31 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 90° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 55 °F - Altimeter: 30.17 inHg - Observed at: PBI, 10 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 20080108014299A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080108014299A), Jan 8, 2008: Robsin R22BETA, West Palm Beac, FL, Substantial damage. (-23) On Tuesday January 8, 2008, at approximately 16:23 EST, a Robinson R-22 beta helicopter N179SH, crashed in the surf at macarthur park in Palm Beach… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 22, 2009, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=67353. 929 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (Student Pilot) (item 1, .PDF, 374 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40308120&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1%20(Student%20Pilot)-Redacted.PDF - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (Operator) (item 2, .PDF, 346 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40308119&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1%20(Operator)-Redacted.PDF - Memorandum for Record (item 3, .PDF, 26 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40309946&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record-Master.PDF - Lycoming Field Notes (Observations) (item 4, .PDF, 116 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40308121&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Lycoming%20Field%20Notes%20(Observations)-Master.PDF - Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation (item 5, .PDF, 67 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40309948&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20of%20Party%20Representatives%20to%20NTSB%20Investigation-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.