- Date
- November 11, 2022
- Place
- Kapolei, HI · PHJR airport, west of taxiway C2
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N948WBRobinson Helicopter R22
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight
- 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
- 20221111011809A
- Case key
- 106351
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 receiving instruction’s rapid reduction in throttle during hover autorotation training which resulted in a loss of control and collision with the ground.
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 flight instructor reported that, while conducting hover autorotation training from about one foot above the ground, the pilot receiving instruction quickly closed the throttle. The helicopter subsequently descended rapidly, caught the left skid on the pavement and rolled over to the left. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and main rotor blades. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N948WB
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2874
- Built
- 1998
- Airframe hours
- 494
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hawaii Pacific Aviation
- Registered owner
- Hawaii Pacific Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 23, 2022
- Departed
- PHNL · Honolulu, HI
- Destination
- PHJR · Kapolei, HI
- Airport
- JRF · Kalaeloa (John Rodgers Fld), runway 4L, 8,000 × 200 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 414 total · 141 in this make and model · 182 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 625 total · 507 in this make and model · 541 as pilot in command · 84.2 in the last 90 days · 18.5 in the last 30 days · 1.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- PHJR, 1 nm away
- METAR
- METAR PHJR 120253Z 03010G16KT 10SM FEW049 26/14 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP170 T02610139 55000=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 31, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.1 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.