Robinson R22 BETA N817AB

Summary

On 7 December 2011 at about 18:30 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N817AB, operated by Mauna Loa Helicopters, was involved in an accident near Waipahu, Hawaii, 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

7 December 2011 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Waipahu, Hawaii, United States

Coordinates

21.3883, -158.0081

Aircraft

Robinson R22 BETA

Registration

N817AB

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Mauna Loa Helicopters

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Honolulu → Honolulu

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12CA056

Nobody was injured.

The certified flight instructor's delayed remedial action and inadequate supervision during a practice autorotation. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's excessive application of the throttle.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The certified flight instructor (CFI) and a student pilot, who held a foreign-issued fixed-wing certificate, were on a local training flight to practice autorotations. The CFI demonstrated the first autorotation. Prior to letting the student take the controls, she reviewed the recovery procedure again. The CFI remained on the controls while the student made the control applications. One autorotation was performed successfully. The student entered his second autorotation, and, at 1,000 feet above ground level, the CFI requested that the student perform a recovery. Rather than cracking the throttle as demonstrated, the student rolled on the throttle, and the CFI felt a yaw to the right. The CFI took control of the helicopter and countered the yaw with left pedal. The CFI noted that the engine rpm and rotor rpm were excessively high, so she decreased the throttle to lower the engine rpm. She began to raise the collective to lower the rotor rpm, but neither of the rpm needles decreased. The helicopter was maintaining a level attitude, but it was descending. During the landing, the low rotor rpm horn sounded, the helicopter touched down hard, and the tail boom separated. The CFI reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.