- Date
- January 30, 2013, 12:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kona, HI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N333PJRobinson R22
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130130000819A
- Case key
- 86113
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 failure to maintain adequate main rotor rpm during a practice autorotation and the flight instructor's delayed action, which resulted in a hard landing.
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 pilot was practicing an autorotation when the main rotor rpm decayed. The flight instructor took control of the helicopter and attempted to correct the low main rotor rpm. However, the helicopter landed hard in a nose-high attitude, which resulted in structural damage to the tailboom. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot receiving instruction was practicing an autorotation when the main rotor rpm decayed. The flight instructor took control of the helicopter and attempted to correct the low main rotor rpm. However, the helicopter landed hard in a nose high attitude, which resulted in structural damage to the tailboom. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N333PJ
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 (BETA)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3804
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hawaii Pacific Aviation Inc.
- Registered owner
- Hawaii Pacific Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Kona, HI
- Destination
- Kona, HI
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 535 total · 480 in this make and model · 3 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 2
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 105 total · 104 in this make and model · 8 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KHKO, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 13, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 449 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.
Other investigations on N333PJ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.