- Date
- June 25, 2007, 13:25 local (20:25 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N980SMRobinson R22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20070625017589A
- Case key
- 66067
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 certified flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the practice autorotation. Contributing factors included the terrain drop off and the failure of the pilot undergoing instruction to maintain adequate rotor rpm.
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 certified flight instructor (CFI) and private pilot undergoing instruction were conducting 180-degree autorotations in a helicopter. The accident happened on the third autorotation. The CFI stated that the entry and glide into the autorotation were uneventful. During the flare portion, sufficient rotor revolutions per minute (rpm) were not produced, and the low rotor rpm light and horn activated. The helicopter was leveled and a run on landing was performed. According to the CFI, the helicopter was not over the intended hard surface for landing. During the attempted run on landing, the helicopter ran over a 3-foot drop off and came to rest on its left side. The CFI did not report any mechanical malfunctions. The temperature at the time of the accident was reported as 39 degrees Celsius.
Factual narrative
The certified flight instructor (CFI) and private pilot undergoing instruction were conducting 180-degree autorotations in a helicopter. The accident happened on the third autorotation. The CFI stated that the entry and glide into the autorotation were uneventful. During the flare portion, sufficient rotor revolutions per minute (rpm) were not produced, and the low rotor rpm light and horn activated. The helicopter was leveled and a run on landing was performed. According to the CFI, the helicopter was not over the intended hard surface for landing. During the attempted run on landing, the helicopter ran over a 3-foot drop off and came to rest on its left side. The CFI did not report any mechanical malfunctions. The temperature at the time of the accident was reported as 39 degrees Celsius.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N980SM
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1980
- Engine
- Textron Lycoming O-320-B2C, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Voyager Helicopters
- Registered owner
- New World Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- TUS · Tucson, AZ
- Airport
- TUS · Tucson Int'l
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
- 43
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 745 total · 650 in this make and model · 166 in the last 90 days · 49 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 225 total · 152 in this make and model · 47 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 10 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 102 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- TUS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.