- Date
- July 27, 2009, 08:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Troutdale, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N8340SRobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090727013249A
- Case key
- 74407
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 improper use of the collective control and the flight instructor’s delayed reaction to the student pilot’s incorrect control inputs.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor reported that he was conducting a lesson on autorotation landings. After completing several autorotations with the student pilot, the flight instructor demonstrated three autorotation landings from a hover. On the student’s first attempt at the maneuver, the instructor reported that the student lowered the collective control instead of raising it. The flight instructor took control of the helicopter and applied up collective to help slow the descent rate. The helicopter began to yaw to the left. The helicopter landed on its left rear skid and bounced as it began to roll to the left. The instructor applied full right cyclic control to level the helicopter before touching back down on both skids. The bounced landing resulted in structural damage to the lower frame of the helicopter. The flight instructor reported no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter and associated flight control systems. The flight instructor stated that he anticipated that the student may apply down collective; however, his reaction time was not enough to counter the student’s control inputs.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that he was conducting a lesson on autorotation landings. After completing several autorotations with the student pilot, the flight instructor demonstrated three autorotation landings from a hover. On the student’s first attempt at the maneuver, the instructor reported that the student lowered the collective control instead of raising it. The flight instructor took control of the helicopter and applied up collective to help slow the descent rate. The helicopter began to yaw to the left. The helicopter landed on its left rear skid and bounced as it began to roll to the left. The instructor applied full right cyclic control to level the helicopter before touching back down on both skids. The bounced landing resulted in structural damage to the lower frame of the helicopter. The flight instructor reported no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter and associated flight control systems. The flight instructor stated that he anticipated that the student may apply down collective; however, his reaction time was not enough to counter the student’s control inputs.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8340S
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2640
- Airframe hours
- 4,786
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hillsboro Avaition Inc
- Registered owner
- Hillsboro Avaition Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · July 7, 2009 · 81 hours before
- Departed
- KTTD · Troutdale, OR
- Destination
- KTTD · Troutdale, OR
- Airport
- KTTD · Portland-Troutdale, runway 25, 5,399 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 7, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 516 total · 362 in this make and model · 412 as pilot in command · 79 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 19 total · 19 in this make and model · 0 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KTTD
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 11, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 927 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.