- Date
- September 9, 1989, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kent, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8034JRobinson R22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890909034319A
- Case key
- 41075
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 instructor pilot's failure to take timely corrective action to recover from a low rotor RPM condition, resulting in impact with the ground.
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 on takeoff at 300 ft AGL, the instructor pilot retarded the throttle to simulate an engine failure. The presolo student did not lower the collective to enter autorotation, resulting in loss of rotor RPM. The CFI initiated remedial action too late to avoid impact with the ground. The acft impacted at 40 KTS, fracturing the landing gear, and the acft rolled over. This was the cfi's first flt with this student who had 20 hrs flt time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8034J
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1051
- Airframe hours
- 371
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 131 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Classic Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Karen L Walling
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 23, 1989 · 71 hours before
- Departed
- BFI · Seattle, WA
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
- 35
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,670 total · 2,200 in this make and model · 2,510 as pilot in command · 155 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BFI, 5 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.