Robinson R22 BETA N216AB
29 October 2012 · Hanapepe, Hawaii, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 29 October 2012 at about 01:45 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N216AB, operated by Sean Kelly, was involved in an accident near Hanapepe, Hawaii, United States. One person was 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.
The record
- Date
- at 01:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hanapepe, Hawaii, United States
- Nearest airport
- Port Allen Airport (PAK)
- Coordinates
- 21.8969, -159.6031
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA
- Registration
- N216AB
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Sean Kelly
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Hanapepe → Hanapepe
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR13CA027
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing area. Contributing to the pilot’s decision to land in an unsuitable landing area was his lack of helicopter experience, which led him to misidentify the precursor event.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that he had departed for a solo training flight to add a helicopter rating to his pilot certificate. He accelerated the helicopter to cruise flight and noticed an “unusual vibration.” He performed an immediate precautionary landing. During the touchdown sequence, one of the helicopter’s landing skids hit a tree branch, and the helicopter rolled onto its side. The helicopter’s main rotor impacted the tailboom, which separated from the fuselage. Several days after the accident, the pilot flew with his flight instructor in a different helicopter and attempted to replicate the vibration. As a result of this flight, the pilot believes that he encountered a tailwind during the accident flight that caused him to feel a vibration. Subsequently, the pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Aug 2012 | Robinson R22 BETA | Spanish Fork, Utah, United States | Utah Helicopter | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Jul 2012 | Robinson R22 | Sao Paulo, Brazil | Master Escola de Aviacao Civil Ltda | Fatal | 2 |
| 21 Apr 2012 | Robinson R22 ALPHA | Palmer, Alaska, United States | Pollux Aviation Limited | No injuries | - |
| 8 Mar 2012 | Robinson R22 BETA | Randle, Washington, United States | Glacier Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 26 Sep 2012 | Robinson R22 BETA II | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | Alpine Air Alaska Inc | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jul 2012 | Robinson R22 | Bountiful, Utah, United States | Upper Limit Aviation | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Apr 2012 | Skykits Usa SAVANNAH ADV | Ookala, Hawaii, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Dec 2012 | Cessna 172S | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | Krall Jose H | Fatal | 1 |
| 6 Jun 2012 | Cessna 182R | Hilo, Hawaii, United States | Civil Air Patrol Inc | No injuries | - |
| 3 Mar 2012 | Aerospatiale AS 355F1 | Makakilo City, Hawaii, United States | TGR Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 3 May 2012 | Robinson R22 | Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States | Hawaii Pacific Aviation Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Feb 2012 | Burkhart Grob G-103A TWIN II ACRO | Dillingham, Hawaii, United States | Hana Hou Air LLC | No injuries | - |