Pilot Debrief

ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA near Waipahu, HI — 2011-12-07

Final reportWPR12CA056
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Date
2011-12-07
Location
Waipahu, HI, USA
Aircraft
ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA
Registration
N817AB
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

The certified flight instructor's delayed remedial action and inadequate supervision during a practice autorotation. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's excessive application of the throttle.

NTSB narrative

The certified flight instructor (CFI) and a student pilot, who held a foreign-issued fixed-wing certificate, were on a local training flight to practice autorotations. The CFI demonstrated the first autorotation. Prior to letting the student take the controls, she reviewed the recovery procedure again. The CFI remained on the controls while the student made the control applications. One autorotation was performed successfully. The student entered his second autorotation, and, at 1,000 feet above ground level, the CFI requested that the student perform a recovery. Rather than cracking the throttle as demonstrated, the student rolled on the throttle, and the CFI felt a yaw to the right. The CFI took control of the helicopter and countered the yaw with left pedal. The CFI noted that the engine rpm and rotor rpm were excessively high, so she decreased the throttle to lower the engine rpm. She began to raise the collective to lower the rotor rpm, but neither of the rpm needles decreased. The helicopter was maintaining a level attitude, but it was descending. During the landing, the low rotor rpm horn sounded, the helicopter touched down hard, and the tail boom separated. The CFI reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
CFI should have monitored RPMs more closely during recovery.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 1 docket document
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents1

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