- Date
- July 16, 2012, 12:05 local (18:05 UTC)
- Place
- Bountiful, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N47WHRobinson Helicopter R22
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120716014899A
- Case key
- 84340
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’s failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 5
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
While performing a simulated power-off autorotation with a power recovery, the certified flight instructor (CFI) and student noted that the main rotor rpm was decaying. About 150 to 200 feet above ground level (agl), the instructor took the flight controls, executed a flare about 50 feet agl, and realized that the helicopter was going to settle. The instructor then attempted a run-on landing, but the helicopter landed hard, spreading the skid landing gear and damaging the rotors, frame, engine and transmission. The helicopter then slid about 75 feet down the runway, departed the runway surface, and rolled four times before coming to rest on its left side. The CFI stated that there were no mechanical problems with the helicopter prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
While performing simulated power-off autorotations with a power recovery, the certified flight instructor (CFI) and student noted that the main rotor rpm was decaying. About 150 to 200 feet above ground level (agl), the CFI took the flight controls and executed a flare about 50 feet agl, and realized the helicopter was going to settle. The CFI then attempted a run on landing, but the helicopter landed hard, spreading the skid landing gear. The helicopter then slid about 75 feet down the runway, departed the runway surface, and rolled four times before coming to rest on its left side. The CFI stated that there were no mechanical problems with the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N47WH
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3525
- Airframe hours
- 1,611
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Upper Limit Aviation
- Registered owner
- Tumbleweed Leasing, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 11, 2012 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- SLC · Salt Lake City, UT
- Destination
- BTF · Bountiful, UT
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- BTF · Bountiful Skypark, runway 16, 4,700 × 70 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
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 5, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,013 total · 781 in this make and model · 168 in the last 90 days · 29 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 4, 2012
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- SLC, 6 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 2, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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 N47WH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.