Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Boise Air Terminal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Boise, Idaho 83705
Friday, May 16, 1997 15:00 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The student pilot was on a checkride for a private pilot certificate with an FAA operations inspector acting as a check pilot. The check pilot stated that he had asked the student to demonstrate a hovering autorotation. Their procedures were discussed before starting the maneuver. The check pilot noted that the student stated that on the count of three, he would start the maneuver by rolling the throttle off first. The check pilot stated that as he was adjusting himself on the seat, at the count of one, the applicant rolled the throttle partially off, induced right pedal as hard as he could and pulled on the collective as quickly as he could. The check pilot noted that during the maneuver, the engine returned to full power because of the corrolator. The helicopter then climbed to approximately 15 feet and started to spin. The check pilot said that by then, he was on the controls and was asking the applicant to let go. He stated that the student pilot froze on the controls during the maneuver and refused to let go. After approximately eight or nine spins, he was unable to maintain control of the helicopter, with the applicant still at the controls at the time of the crash.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
improper handling of the helicopter by the student pilot/applicant, during a hover autorotation, which resulted in loss of tail rotor effectiveness. The check pilot's inadequate remedial action was a related factor.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/16/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1500 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | BOISE |
| Event State | IDAHO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83705 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | BOISE AIR TERMINAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KBOI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 2858 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 892 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 16 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1430 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2328W |
| NTSB Number | SEA97LA115 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Robinson |
| Aircraft Model | R22B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | R22B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2129 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1370 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 3 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 82 |
| Airframe Hours | 954 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WHITE CLOUD AVIATION |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5305 SOUTH DIAMOND |
| Aircraft Owner City | BOISE |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 83705 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | BOI |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1420 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |