Robinson R22 BETA N7176S

Summary

On 24 May 2003 at about 21:30 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N7176S, operated by Benjamin J. Schenk, was involved in an accident near West Jordan, Utah, 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

24 May 2003 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

West Jordan, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Salt Lake City Municipal 2 (U42)

Coordinates

40.6194, -111.9928

Aircraft

Robinson R22 BETA

Registration

N7176S

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Benjamin J. Schenk

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

West Jordan → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN03LA085

Nobody was injured.

The loss of power for undetermined reasons. Also causal was the student's failure to maintain aircraft control and the instructor's inadequate supervision. The instructor's delayed remedial action as a contributing factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor and private pilot who was receiving instruction were practicing landings when the instructor asked "what would be his reaction if the engine quit on [the] downwind [leg]." They entered an autorotation from an altitude of 5,200 feet msl (600 feet agl) and an airspeed of 75 knots. The student turned the helicopter into the wind but lost 15 knots and rotor rpm (96 percent). The instructor noticed the rpm drop and added power, but there was no increase in rpm. Altitude had dropped to 4,900 feet msl (300 feet agl), and the rate of descent was increasing. The instructor kept the collective control down and pulled back on the cyclic control to transfer speed into rotor rpm and altitude. Engine and rotor rpm needles "were married at 93% and 95%." He increased collective to reduce the rate of descent. The throttle was fully open. The low rotor rpm horn never shut off, and there was no audible increase in rpm. The instructor said that as they passed 50 feet agl, the rpm was so low that "the helicopter was close to stall." He leveled off, but the helicopter struck the ground and bounced several times, collapsing the skids. It rolled over on its left side, shearing off the main rotor and tail rotor blades. The fuselage skin was also wrinkled. Nothing was found that would have precluded the development of engine power. Based on an instructor interview,the FAA concluded that the flight instructor should have had the student make a straight ahead autorotation instead of a turning autorotation. The student allowed rpm to drop so that it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to recover.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.