Pilot Debrief

Robinson R22 near Sterling City, TX — 2018-06-17

Final reportCEN18CA294
Sign in to save
Date
2018-06-17
Location
Sterling City, TX, USA
Aircraft
Robinson R22
Registration
N410MM
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper decision to exit the helicopter without shutting down the engine, which allowed the collective/throttle to increase and resulted in a loss of control of the unattended helicopter.

NTSB narrative

The pilot exited the helicopter with the engine set to idle power. Subsequently, the collective/throttle increased due to the engine vibrations, and the helicopter became light on the skids. The helicopter rocked back on the tail, which separated the tail rotor from the helicopter and damaged the main rotor blades. The manufacturer had previously issued a safety notice, which stated to never exit the helicopter unattended with the engine running and the rotors turning because the collective can "creep up, increasing both pitch and throttle, allowing the helicopter to lift off or roll out of control," as occurred in this accident.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

Related mishaps