- Date
- August 13, 2007, 11:10 local (18:10 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N453SHRobinson R-22 Beta II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20070813017499A
- Case key
- 66431
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 student pilot's failure to maintain rotor RPM during landing approach, and the delayed remedial action by the flight instructor. A contributing factor was the high density altitude weather condition.
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 flight instructor reported that he was on a cross-country training flight with a student. He said the student was performing an off airport landing where the elevation was 4,500 feet mean sea level (msl); the density altitude was reported to be 7,300 feet msl. The flight instructor said that as the helicopter approached the landing site, it began to yaw right, and the left pedal was ineffective. He took control of the aircraft, and noticed that the main rotor RPM was low. He lowered the collective slightly and rolled on additional throttle. The flight instructor said that the left pedal would still not turn the helicopter into the wind. He lowered the collective again, allowed the helicopter to settle, and then pulled collective to cushion the landing. The main rotor contacted the terrain and mesquite shrub. The aircraft came to rest on its left side, facing the direction from which it came, and the tail boom was separated from the fuselage.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that he was on a cross-country training flight with a student. He said the student was performing an off airport landing where the elevation was 4,500 feet mean sea level (msl); the density altitude was reported to be 7,300 feet msl. The flight instructor said that as the helicopter approached the landing site, it began to yaw right, and the left pedal was ineffective. He took control of the aircraft, and noticed that the main rotor RPM was low. He lowered the collective slightly and rolled on additional throttle. The flight instructor said that the left pedal would still not turn the helicopter into the wind. He lowered the collective again, allowed the helicopter to settle, and then pulled collective to cushion the landing. The main rotor contacted the terrain and mesquite shrub. The aircraft came to rest on its left side, facing the direction from which it came, and the tail boom was separated from the fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N453SH
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22 Beta II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 4025
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Silver State Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Shining Star Helicopters LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- TUS · Tucson, AZ
- Destination
- TUS
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
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 301 total · 280 in this make and model · 56 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 72 total · 72 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- FHU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N453SH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.