# NTSB WPR12LA362: Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta, N208WM, Spanish Fork, UT, August 17, 2012

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: August 17, 2012, 16:42 local (22:42 UTC)
- Place: Spanish Fork, UT
- Coordinates: 40.141387, -111.661109 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.1414&lon=-111.6611&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor
- Status: Completed, report October 9, 2014
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: FAA FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 84718
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR12LA362
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/84718/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84718
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12LA362

## Probable cause

The flight instructor’s delayed remedial action and inadequate supervision during a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing and rollover.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Action: delayed action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 35 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 894 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md)
- [Attention/monitoring: monitoring other person](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535): Personnel issues › Psychological · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 15 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 200 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md)
- [Performance/control parameters: prop/rotor parameters](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062052): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 37 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062052/cases.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 182 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062052/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Emergency descent: Simulated/training event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/600); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/600/sequence.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 173 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/600/sequence.md)
- [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); 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 flight instructor and student pilot were on a local training flight to practice autorotations. The flight instructor reported that the student entered a 180-degree autorotation at an altitude of about 5,200 feet mean sea level at 65 knots. The student started the maneuver by initiating a descending "hard" right turn. Shortly after, the low rotor light illuminated, and the low rotor horn sounded. In response, the flight instructor assisted the student through the maneuver, and they added left cyclic and decreased the airspeed and sink rate. Although the rpm horn stopped, the helicopter's sink rate was excessive, so the flight instructor took control of the helicopter. He reported that the rotor seemed as if it was not responding to inputs and that the helicopter's sink rate was "pretty fast." The helicopter lost considerable altitude in the turn, and the flight instructor rolled on the throttle and flared in the short amount of distance between the helicopter and the ground. The helicopter subsequently touched down hard and rolled over. The flight instructor reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

## Factual narrative

On August 17, 2012, at 1642 mountain daylight time, a Robinson R22 Beta II, N208WM, sustained substantial damage subsequent to a hard landing and rollover at the Spanish Fork - Springville Municipal Airport, Spanish Fork, Utah. The certified flight instructor (CFI) sustained serious injuries and the student pilot receiving instruction sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was registered to Zbura Helicopters, LLC, and operated by Utah Helicopters as an instructional flight under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight that departed Spanish Fork about 45 minutes prior the accident. The purpose of the instructional flight was, in part, to practice autorotations. The student pilot reported that they had completed multiple straight-in autorotations followed by an autorotation from a 180-degree turn. He reported that during the turning maneuver, the main rotor RPM decayed and the helicopter's descent rate increased; the helicopter subsequently touched down hard and rolled over. In a written statement the CFI reported they began the autorotation at 5,200 feet MSL at 65 knots. He reported the student started the maneuver by initiating a descending "hard" right turn. Shortly thereafter, the low rotor light illuminated and the low rotor horn sounded. In response, the CFI instructed the student through the maneuver by adding left cyclic and decreasing the airspeed and sink rate. He reported they recovered the horn, however, the helicopter's sink rate was excessive and he took the controls. He reported the rotor seemed as if it was not responding to inputs and the helicopter's sink rate was "pretty fast." The helicopter lost considerable altitude in the turn and unable to reach the intended touchdown point the CFI rolled the throttle "on" and flared in the short amount of distance between the helicopter and the ground. The helicopter subsequently touched down hard and rolled over. A pair of sun glasses worn by the CFI was found at the accident site. The I-KAM XTREME Video Glasses contained a digital camera incorporated into the bride of the frame. The sunglasses were shipped to the NTSB's Vehicle Recorder Division for video and audio file extraction. Five individual files, one that captured the accident sequence, were extracted. The On Board Image Recorder Factual Report outlining the data can be found in the docket for this accident case file. The CFI reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N208WM](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N208WM-2018-02-12), registration cancelled 2018-02-12, S/N 4397, built 2008 (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: 4397
- Airframe hours: 1708
- Engines: LYCOMING O-360-J2A 145 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Operator: Utah Helicopter
- Registered owner: Zbura Helicopters LLC
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, March 26, 2012, 73 hours before
- Departed: U77, Spanish Fork, UT
- Destination: U77, Spanish Fork, UT
- Airport: U77, Spanish Fork - Springville, runway 12, 5,700 × 100 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Flight instructor; age 49; injuries: serious; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; flight hours: 1,622 total, 843 in this make and model, 1,274 as pilot in command, 62 in the last 90 days, 36 in the last 30 days
- Student pilot; age 23; injuries: minor; student; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: right; flight hours: 71 total, 71 in this make and model, 10 as pilot in command, 14 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 93 °F

## 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 20120817017769A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120817017769A), Aug 17, 2012: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, Spanish Fork, UT, Substantial damage. Substantial damage was sustained after a hard landing during an instructional flight. The flight instructor and student pilot were practicing autorotations.…

## Docket (3 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 21, 2014, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84718. 1.7 MB in all.

- On board image recorder - specialist's factual report (item 1, PDF, 6 pages, 261 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=1328801&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=wpr12la362_image-Rel.pdf
- Pilot-operator aircraft accident report NTSB form 61201 (item 2, PDF, 11 pages, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=349433&FileExtension=PDF&FileName=Pilot-Operator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report%20NTSB%20Form%2061201-Rel.PDF
- Sound spectrum study (item 3, PDF, 5 pages, 4 photos, 161 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=20433399&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=wpr12la362_audio-Rel_Redacted-Rel.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.

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