- Date
- January 8, 1983, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Milford, CT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9017YRobinson R22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830108005909A
- Case key
- 35025
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 helicopter collided with a telephone pole during an autorotation forced landing after an engine malfunction. The aircraft was cruising at 500 feet when there was an audible decrease in main rotor and engine RPM. The rotor RPM was between 80-85 percent when the instructor pilot took control from the student. During an autorotative landing, the instructor maneuvered to avoid wires while landing on a downhill street, away from automobile traffic. The autorotation was almost complete when the rotor struck a telephone pole and rolled the aircraft on its side. The low RPM warning horn and caution light did not work as programmed. The battery terminal were found corroded and the battery voltage was found to be low. Electrical wire #19 was found disconnected from the alternator switch where the wire had been soldered to the switch. An examination revealed that the solder adhesion was good, but the wire had not been passed thru the terminal post & wrapped before it was soldered. No other preimpact malfunctions or failures were found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9017Y
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0016
- Airframe hours
- 1,087
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Kelaire
- Registered owner
- Airking Industries, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 23, 1982 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- 7B9 · Ellington, CT
- Destination
- BDR · Stratford, CT
- Airport
- BDR · Sikorski Memorial
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,450 total · 1,175 in this make and model · 1,400 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BDR, 3 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.