Robinson R22 BETA N179SH

Summary

On 8 January 2008 at about 21:23 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N179SH, operated by Silver State Helicopters LLC, was involved in an accident near North Palm Bch, Florida, 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

8 January 2008 at 21:23

Classification

Accident

Location

North Palm Bch, Florida, United States

Coordinates

26.8317, -80.0383

Aircraft

Robinson R22 BETA

Registration

N179SH

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Silver State Helicopters LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Stuart → Fort Lauderdale

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC08LA078

1 person was seriously injured.

A loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. Contributing to the accident was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter was transitioning along a beach at 500 feet and 80 knots. The certificated student pilot had just contacted an air traffic control tower when the engine appeared to lose power. The student pilot raised the collective, but the situation "worsened," and he noticed a slight yaw. The student pilot then lowered the collective, and turned the helicopter left, into the wind. He subsequently completed an autorotation into the surf. The student pilot noted that prior to the loss of engine power, he didn't notice any unusual vibrations or noises, but did notice a "significant loss of power which resulted in an immediate loss of altitude." He also noted that it felt like "the sinking and yawing one experiences when settling with power." A postflight examination of the helicopter revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Utilizing the ambient temperature and dew point, a carburetor icing probability chart produced by the National Research Council of Canada indicated a probability of "serious icing at glide power," while another chart in the FAA's Tips on Winter Flying pamphlet indicated that carburetor icing conditions bordered between "serious icing - glide power" and "light icing - glide or cruise power."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.