- Date
- June 18, 2011, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Prescott, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N334DCRobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Defining event
- Taxi-into takeoff position: Loss of tail rotor effectiveness
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 11, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110618012479A
- Case key
- 80810
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 pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and failure to maintain directional control of the helicopter during taxi, resulting in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and a subsequent hard landing.
Findings · 4
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 instructor reported that his student was taxiing the helicopter in a north direction along a taxiway parallel to the runway with a near direct tailwind of 10 knots with gusts to 19. The student started to lose tail rotor authority over the helicopter. At this time the instructor took control of the helicopter and proceeded to apply full left pedal until he regained tail rotor authority and directional control. Because of the strong wind from the south, the instructor opted to keep control of the helicopter until they were airborne and he proceeded to continue their taxi to the displaced threshold of the runway. Upon reaching the displaced threshold, the instructor started a 220 degree turn to the left in order to line up with a takeoff direction to the south into the wind. The instructor reported that half way through the turn the helicopter violently yawed to the left, and he applied full right pedal to cancel the yaw but was unable to arrest the helicopter's left yawing moment. The helicopter landed hard on the skids, damaging the main rotor and severing the tail boom aft of the tail rotor blades hazard guard and before the tail rotor transmission. The pilot reported no mechanical issues with the helicopter prior to the flight. The wind limitation listed in the Pilot's Operating Handbook for the helicopter is 25 knots including any gust factor.
Factual narrative
The instructor reported that his student was taxing the helicopter in a north direction along a taxiway parallel to runway 12/30 with a near direct tailwind of 10 knots with gusts to 19. The student started to lose tail rotor authority over the helicopter. At this time the instructor took control of the helicopter and proceeded to apply full left pedal until they regained tail rotor authority and directional control. Because of the strong winds from the south, the instructor opted to keep control of the helicopter until they were airborne and he proceeded to continue their taxi to the displaced threshold of runway 12. Upon reaching the displaced threshold, the instructor started a 220 degree turn to the left in order to line up with a takeoff direction to the south into the wind. The instructor reported that half way through the turn the helicopter violently yawed to the left, and he applied full right pedal to cancel the yaw but was unable to arrest the helicopters left yawing moment. The helicopter landed hard on the skids, damaging the main rotor and severing the tail boom aft of the tail rotor blades hazard guard and before the tail rotor transmission. The pilot reported no mechanical issues with the helicopter prior to the flight. The wind limitation listed in the Pilot's Operating Handbook for the helicopter is 25 knots including any gust factor.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N334DC
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3511
- Airframe hours
- 4,352
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 SERIES, 124 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Guidance Helicopters Inc
- Registered owner
- Guidance Helicopters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 12, 2011 · 89 hours before
- Departed
- KPRC · Prescott, AZ
- Destination
- KPRC · Prescott, AZ
- Airport
- KPRC · Ernest H Love Field, runway 12, 4,408 × 75 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 339 total · 187 in this make and model · 234 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 49 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 10 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KPRC, 1 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 24, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.4 MB 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.
Other investigations on N334DC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.