# NTSB WPR11CA189: Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta, N268SH, Salt Lake City, UT, April 6, 2011 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: April 6, 2011, 12:10 local (18:10 UTC) - Place: Salt Lake City, UT - Coordinates: 40.627777, -112.001945 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.6278&lon=-112.0019&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 20, 2011 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 78788 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR11CA189 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/78788/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=78788 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11CA189 ## Probable cause The student pilot's inadvertent action of pulling out the engine's mixture control lever to idle cutoff that resulted in a complete loss of engine power. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Action: incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 18 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 1,386 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md) - [Environmental issues](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03020000): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03020000/cases.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 24 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03020000/cases.md) - [Engine controls: mixture control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057602): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Unintentional use/operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057602/cases.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 41 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057602/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 18 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 23 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Autorotation: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 54 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) ## Analysis The certified flight instructor said he and his student were flying the helicopter in the traffic pattern on the downwind leg. The student pilot was flying and the instructor told him to reduce the power to begin the descent for the base turn to final. The student reduced the power by approximately 1 inch of manifold pressure. The instructor then took control of the helicopter and reduced the power by an additional 6 or 7 inches of manifold pressure. He said that the student pulled the mixture control out to the idle cutoff position, which resulted in a loss of engine power. The student had intended to apply carburetor heat and instead inadvertently moved the mixture control, which was located next to the carburetor heat. The instructor turned the helicopter 180 degrees into the wind and simultaneously entered an autorotation from 300 feet above the ground. His selected landing site turned out to be a school yard with children present. He maneuvered the helicopter to a new landing site, but subsequently landed hard. The landing skids were spread and the main rotor cut off the tail boom. ## Factual narrative The certified flight instructor said he and his student were flying the helicopter in the traffic pattern on the downwind leg. The student pilot was flying and he was told by the instructor to reduce the power to begin the descent for the base turn to final. The student reduced the power by approximately 1 inch of manifold pressure. The instructor then took control of the helicopter and reduced the power by an additional 6 or 7 inches of manifold pressure. He said that the student pulled the mixture control out to the idle cutoff position, which resulted in a loss of engine power. The student had intended to apply carburetor heat and instead inadvertently moved the mixture control, which was located next to the carburetor heat. The instructor turned the helicopter 180 degrees into the wind and simultaneously entered an autorotation from 300 feet above the ground. His selected landing site turned out to be a school yard with children present. He maneuvered the helicopter to a new landing site, but subsequently landed hard. The landing skids were spread and the main rotor cut off the tail boom. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N268SH](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N268SH-2017-10-06), registration cancelled 2017-10-06, S/N 4233, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA - Registry model: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (registry code 7640110) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O-360-J2A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-j2a) (registry code 42314, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 4233 - Airframe hours: 2354 - Engines: LYCOMING O-360-J2A 145 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Upper Limit Aviation, doing business as Upper Limit Aviation - Registered owner: Tumbleweed Leasing Co Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, March 23, 2011 - Departed: SLC, Salt Lake City, UT - Destination: U42, Salt Lake City, UT - Airport: U42, South Valley Regional Arpt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 26; injuries: none; flight instructor; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 433 total, 322 in this make and model, 210 in the last 90 days, 80 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 25; injuries: minor; student; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; seat: right; flight hours: 26 total, 26 in this make and model, 26 in the last 90 days, 26 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 160° at 11 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 52 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 30.10 inHg - Observed at: U42 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20110406005189A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110406005189A), Apr 6, 2011: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, West Jordan, UT, Substantial damage. During flight training at salt lake city - south valley regional(U42) the engine quit while the helicopter was on extended downwind leg to runway 16. The… ## Other investigations on N268SH (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX08CA159](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08CA159), May 31, 2008: Robinson R22 (N268SH), Salt Lake City, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student's improper use of the anti torque pedals during a practice hover autorotation, which resulted in the helicopter rolling over. Additional causes of the accident were the certificated… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 15, 2011, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=78788. 536 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 536 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40346504&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.