Summary
On March 13, 2007, a Robinson R22 BETA (N7681H) was involved in an incident near Broomfield, CO. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The instructor's failure to maintain aircraft control. A contributing factor was the windshear.
According to the flight instructor, he was demonstrating a "full-down" autorotation into a 20-knot headwind. About 20 feet above the ground, the wind diminished and the rotor RPM decayed. The pilot flared the helicopter, but it impacted the taxiway at 40 knots and at a 1,000 feet per minute descent rate. The helicopter bounced and the main rotor blades struck the tail boom. A systems examination revealed no anomalies.
This incident is documented in NTSB report DEN07CA072. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N7681H.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The instructor's failure to maintain aircraft control. A contributing factor was the windshear.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
According to the flight instructor, he was demonstrating a "full-down" autorotation into a 20-knot headwind. About 20 feet above the ground, the wind diminished and the rotor RPM decayed. The pilot flared the helicopter, but it impacted the taxiway at 40 knots and at a 1,000 feet per minute descent rate. The helicopter bounced and the main rotor blades struck the tail boom. A systems examination revealed no anomalies.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DEN07CA072