- Date
- September 26, 2022, 08:10 local (15:10 UTC)
- Place
- Mesa, AZ · These coordinates coincide with "4 nm North of FFZ" in pilot's report
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N252SCRobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20220926021519A
- Case key
- 106015
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 flight instructor’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter’s rate of descent, resulting in a hard landing.
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
While conducting an instructional flight, the flight instructor reported that, he assumed control of the helicopter to demonstrate a left 180° autorotation, and the maneuver began normally. Part way through the maneuver, the pilot noticed that the helicopter was lower in altitude than he expected. He reported that he applied right cyclic and aft cyclic, attempting to slow the rate of descent. The helicopter landed hard and skidded to a stop. When stopped, the flight instructor and the student pilot exited the helicopter, and a postimpact fire ensued. The tail boom and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N252SC
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3893
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 6,257.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Sanbarcollbuscom, Inc, doing business as California Aeronautical University
- Registered owner
- November Alpha LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 14, 2022 · 11.6 hours before
- Departed
- FFZ · Mesa, AZ
- Airport
- N/A
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- August 29, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 918 total · 278 in this make and model · 788 as pilot in command · 67 in the last 90 days · 29 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 53.7 total · 53.7 in this make and model · 10.1 as pilot in command · 17.7 in the last 90 days · 3.1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KFFZ, 4 nm away
- METAR
- KFFZ 261454Z 05005KT 10SM CLR 29/07 A2994 RMK AO2 SLP112 T02940067 51016=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 30, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.