Robinson R22 N474AT
26 January 2021 · West Palm Beach, Florida, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 26 January 2021 at about 22:15 local time, a Robinson R22 registered N474AT, operated by Palm Beach Helicopters, was involved in an accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 22:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- West Palm Beach, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Palm Beach County Park Airport (LNA)
- Coordinates
- 26.5931, -80.0851
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22
- Registration
- N474AT
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1998
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Palm Beach Helicopters
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA21LA117
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The examiner’s failure to arrest the helicopter descent during a simulated engine failure maneuver and the flight instructor’s inadequate remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The purpose of the flight was for the examiner to conduct an examination of the assistant chief flight instructor applicant in a helicopter. The last maneuver that they were testing for the day was an engine failure on takeoff. The examiner assumed control of the helicopter from the flight instructor and began the takeoff. He asked the flight instructor to guard the flight controls before he announced a simulated engine failure and initiated the glide phase of the autorotation. When the examiner attempted to arrest the rate of descent by increasing engine power, he was unable to stop the helicopter prior to it impacting the ground. During the landing the helicopter’s skids and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilots 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Dec 2021 | Robinson R22 BETA | Hachita, New Mexico, United States | Tcwh Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2021 | Robinson R22 BETA | Arnaudville, Louisiana, United States | 1 Acadiana Helicopters Company LLC | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 May 2021 | Robinson R22 | Hay South, Australia | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 Nov 2021 | Robinson R22 | Rauch, Argentina | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 24 Aug 2021 | Robinson R22 | Limpopo Providance, South Africa | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 Sep 2021 | Robinson R22 BETA | Mentone, Texas, United States | Concho Aviation LLC | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Nov 2021 | Piper PA-12 | Labelle, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 8 May 2021 | Cessna 172RG | Miami, Florida, United States | Silver Express Co DBA | No injuries | - |
| 17 Aug 2021 | Piper PA-28-140 | Orlando, Florida, United States | Airline Training Academy | Serious injuries | - |
| 29 Nov 2021 | Boeing 747-4B5F | Miami, Florida, United States | Kalitta Air LLC | No injuries | - |
| 7 Dec 2021 | Beechcraft S35 | Tallahassee, Florida, United States | James Hunt / AeroMed Transport Co | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 2021 | Airbus A321-231 | Miami, Florida, United States | American Airlines Inc | Serious injuries | - |