- Date
- November 15, 2014, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Prescott, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N32VHRobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 1, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20141115022579A
- Case key
- 90393
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 certified flight instructor's failure to maintain helicopter control during the autorotation which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent roll over.
Findings · 2
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
During an instructional flight, the certified flight instructor (CFI) was demonstrating a 180-degree autorotation for a pilot rated student. The CFI positioned the helicopter on a downwind, abeam the landing site, about 800 feet above ground and at about 70 knots when he started a right turning autorotation. After turning about 80 degrees the pilot rated student told the CFI that it appeared they were going to land short on the approach. The CFI increased the helicopter's turn rate; however, near the end of the turn, he noticed the rotor RPM was starting to decay and he applied down collective. As the helicopter was rolling out of the turn, it appeared that the helicopter was descending faster than moving forward. The CFI began the cyclic flare to reduce the descent; however, the helicopter impacted the ground hard and rolled onto its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom and fuselage structure. The CFI reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
Factual narrative
During an instructional flight, the certified flight instructor (CFI) was demonstrating a 180-degree autorotation for a pilot rated student. The CFI positioned the helicopter on a downwind, abeam the landing site, about 800 feet above ground and at about 70 knots when he started a right turning autorotation. After turning about 80 degrees the pilot rated student told the CFI that it appeared they were going to land short on the approach. The CFI increased the helicopter's turn rate; however, near the end of the turn, he noticed the rotor RPM was starting to decay and he applied down collective. As the helicopter was rolling out of the turn, it appeared that the helicopter was descending faster than moving forward. The CFI began the cyclic flare to reduce the descent; however, the helicopter impacted the ground hard and rolled onto its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom and fuselage structure. The CFI reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N32VH
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta (II)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3930
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 1,085
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Guidance Academy, LLC, doing business as Guidance Aviation
- Registered owner
- Zions Credit Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 31, 2014 · 57 hours before
- Departed
- PRC · Prescott, AZ
- Destination
- PRC · Prescott, AZ
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 28, 2014
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,382 total · 702 in this make and model · 1,333 as pilot in command · 238 in the last 90 days · 88 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 5, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 218 total · 91 in this make and model · 163 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 21 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PRC, 8 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 18, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 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.