Robinson R22B N62DF

Summary

On 30 January 2000 at about 18:30 local time, a Robinson R22B registered N62DF was involved in an accident near Hana, Maui, Hawaii, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 January 2000 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Hana, Maui, Hawaii, United States

Nearest airport

Hana (HNM)

Coordinates

20.7694, -155.9906

Aircraft

Robinson R22B

Registration

N62DF

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hawi → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX00LA089

1 person was seriously injured.

The student's failure to maintain directional control after encountering a tail rotor vortex ring state induced right yaw.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During landing approach at the completion of a solo cross-country flight, the student pilot was slowing below 30 knots to enter a hover when the helicopter began spinning to the right. The student was unable to arrest the right yaw and entered an autorotation, which terminated in a rotating collision with terrain 137 feet short of the runway. He was attempting to land with a left crosswind and/or quartering tailwind from a direction and at a speed conducive to a tail rotor vortex ring state condition. The condition results in tail rotor thrust variations, which can require rapid and continuous pedal movements to maintain heading and cause unanticipated right yaw rates to develop. If the yaw rate is not controlled immediately, the helicopter can rotate into a wind azimuth region where weather cock instability will accelerate the right yaw. This condition will be aggravated at airspeeds below 30 knots when the loss of translational lift results in an increased power demand (more torque) and a corresponding increase in antitorque requirement. The student's total flying experience and pilot-in-command time was about 60.6 and 5.2 hours, respectively.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.