- Date
- March 12, 1995, 09:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Hillsboro, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N721HHRobinson R-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 13, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950312003639A
- Case key
- 42121
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 dual student pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the helicopter during the practice hover autorotation to landing, and the flight instructor's failure to adequately supervise the dual student during the landing. Contributing to the accident was an unfavorable wind.
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 dual student pilot and flight instructor were practicing hover autorotations onto the grass. Immediately prior to the accident, directional control of the helicopter was lost while the dual student was receiving instruction on autorotating to landing from a hover about two feet above the ground. Both the student and instructor were on the controls at the time. The helicopter began to drift to the left, and the flight instructor used full right cyclic to correct for the drift. The helicopter's left landing skid struck the ground 'hard' and the helicopter rolled over, causing substantial damage. The wind was blowing from the south at 15 knots.
Factual narrative
On March 12, 1995, about 0945 Pacific standard time, N721HH, a Robinson R-22 helicopter, operated by Hillsboro Helicopters, Inc., Hillsboro, Oregon, impacted terrain and rolled over while landing in Hillsboro. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The local instructional flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91.
According to the CFI, the purpose of the flight was to practice hover autorotations. Immediately prior to the accident, both the CFI and pre-solo student pilot were at the controls. The helicopter was "... into the wind [approximately] 18 - 24 inches above grass on level ground." The CFI further stated:
Closed throttle to perform hover auto. Aircraft began to settle and drift left. Full right cyclic was applied as aircraft contacted ground hard with left skid. Collective was lowered and aircraft's momentum seemed to stop. [The helicopter] paused for a second and then continued over on left side.
According to an FAA aviation safety inspector from Hillsboro, Oregon, the helicopter rolled over onto its left side, causing substantial damage. No pre-impact mechanical malfunctions were reported.
The wind conditions at the airport about five minutes after the accident were reported to be from 180 degrees at 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N721HH
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1484
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 131 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hillsboro Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 10, 1995 · 2 hours before
- Airport
- HIO · Portland-Hillsboro
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
- 26
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 640 total · 531 in this make and model · 603 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HIO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.