Robinson R22B N2331

Summary

On 23 September 2002 at about 17:00 local time, a Robinson R22B registered N2331 was involved in an accident near Silverado, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 September 2002 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Silverado, California, United States

Coordinates

33.7500, -117.5667

Aircraft

Robinson R22B

Registration

N2331

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Santa Ana → Santa Ana

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX02LA294

Nobody was injured.

The student's failure to maintain adequate main rotor rpm, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight. Contributing factors were the hilly terrain and the relative high density altitude conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During an instructional flight, a forced landing occurred on slopping terrain wherein the main rotor blades contacted the hillside and the tail boom was bent. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student were operating the helicopter near its maximum certificated gross weight over a 2,900-foot mean sea level hillside, with a density altitude higher than 5,800 feet. The CFI failed to adequately monitor his student's handling of the controls, and the main rotor rpm decreased. Despite the CFI's subsequent efforts at regaining adequate rpm, the low rotor rpm condition continued, which necessitated a forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.