Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lubbock, Texas 79350
Saturday, July 25, 1998 13:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight instructor initiated the autorotation from a heading of approximately 040 degrees at 600 feet agl, with an airspeed of 60 knots and a rotor RPM of 100 percent. During the 100 degree right turn toward the south (about a 140 degree heading), the airspeed decreased to 54 knots. The instructor lowered the aircraft's nose to regain airspeed and the rotor RPM decreased to 96 percent, activating the low rotor RPM warning system. He then lowered the collective and rotor RPM was regained (100 percent). At 60 feet, he looked up and observed the ground coming up 'very fast.' At 40 feet he initiated a flare, and noticed that 'instead of the flare dragging out, we just kept dropping towards the ground.' At 25 feet he aligned the aircraft for landing, and 'just prior to touchdown I applied full collective pitch. I can't remember if I rolled throttle on or not.' The helicopter struck the ground with the tailboom first, then the skids, and came to rest on its left side. The pilot reported the winds at the time of the accident were from 190 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 21. The density altitude was calculated to be 6,359 feet.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to perform an adequate flare, and his improper touchdown technique. Factors were the pilot's improper evaluation of the weather conditions, and the high density altitude and crosswind weather condition.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/25/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1330 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | LUBBOCK |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 79350 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| 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 | 7000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 37 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 21 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 6359 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1546 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 25 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1549 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 23 2001 1:55PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N789HP |
| NTSB Number | FTW98LA330 |
| 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 | R22 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | R22 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2840 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 10 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 17 |
| Airframe Hours | 38 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DAVID DICKEY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3912 96TH STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | LUBBOCK |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 79423 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | HIGH PLAINS HELICOPTERS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 3912 96TH STREET |
| Operator City | LUBBOCK |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 79423 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | LBB |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1320 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| 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 | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 23 2001 1:55PM |
| 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 | -- |