N32VH

Substantial
Minor

ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETAS/N: 3930

Accident Details

Date
Saturday, November 15, 2014
NTSB Number
WPR15CA043
Location
Prescott, AZ
Event ID
20141117X15544
Coordinates
34.538333, -112.468330
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
2
Uninjured
0
Total Aboard
2

Probable Cause and Findings

The certified flight instructor's failure to maintain helicopter control during the autorotation which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent roll over.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N32VH
Make
ROBINSON HELICOPTER
Serial Number
3930
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
2005
Model / ICAO
R22 BETAR22
Aircraft Type
Rotorcraft
No. of Engines
1

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
DODSON INTERNATIONAL PARTS INC
Address
2155 VERMONT RD
Status
Deregistered
City
RANTOUL
State / Zip Code
KS 66079-9014
Country
United States

Analysis

During an instructional flight, the certified flight instructor (CFI) was demonstrating a 180-degree autorotation for a pilot rated student. The CFI positioned the helicopter on a downwind, abeam the landing site, about 800 feet above ground and at about 70 knots when he started a right turning autorotation. After turning about 80 degrees the pilot rated student told the CFI that it appeared they were going to land short on the approach. The CFI increased the helicopter's turn rate; however, near the end of the turn, he noticed the rotor RPM was starting to decay and he applied down collective. As the helicopter was rolling out of the turn, it appeared that the helicopter was descending faster than moving forward. The CFI began the cyclic flare to reduce the descent; however, the helicopter impacted the ground hard and rolled onto its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom and fuselage structure. The CFI reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR15CA043