N2318X – ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA – 2013-06-03 NTSB Accident Report

On June 03, 2013, a Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA (N2318X) was involved in an incident near Lansing, IL. 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: Improper control inputs by the pilot-receiving-instruction and the inability of the flight instructor to correct the control inputs in sufficient time to avoid the hard landing.

The pilot-receiving-instruction was demonstrating a 180-degree autorotation at the time of the accident. He inadvertently overshot the intended ground target point. After rolling out of the turn, the pilot-receiving-instruction did not flare properly and, instead, increased collective until reaching the control stop resulting in a loss of main rotor speed. The flight instructor was unable to correct the pilot’s control inputs in time to prevent a hard landing. The landing skids collapsed, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and fuselage. The flight instructor and pilot-receiving-instruction reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures associated with the helicopter.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN13CA312. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N2318X.