Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Jonesboro Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jonesboro, Arkansas 72401
Thursday, October 21, 1999 14:10 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter-rated student performed a takeoff, and at 500 feet agl, the flight instructor 'initiated a throttle roll-off.' The student then entered an autorotation, during which time the instructor was 'riding the controls.' Approximately 250 feet agl, the low rotor horn sounded, and the low rotor light illuminated. The flight instructor reported that the student decreased the collective, 'but it was too small of an amount too late.' The flight instructor then initiated a go-around and 'released back pressure on the cyclic, decreased the collective, and rolled the throttle on, but the engine did not respond. The engine needle remained at idle.' The helicopter was descending through 75 feet agl when the flight instructor 'lowered the collective and initiated a hard flare.' The helicopter impacted the ground, and the main rotor blades contacted and severed the tail boom. The engine was test run and operated within the manufacturer's specifications.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight instructor's delay in taking remedial action to recover from a low rotor rpm situation. A factor was the student's failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/21/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1410 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | JONESBORO |
| Event State | ARKANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 72401 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | JONESBORO MUNICIPAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | JBR |
| 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 | 262 |
| 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) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 20 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 6453 |
| 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) | 1398 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 21 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1500 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 11:59AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2301C |
| NTSB Number | FTW00LA014 |
| 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 BETA |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | R22 BETA |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1926 |
| 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 | Apr 26 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 16 |
| Airframe Hours | 1128 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SUMMIT PROPERTIES, LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 891 |
| Aircraft Owner City | BRYANT |
| Aircraft Owner State | AR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 72089 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | TONY BONHAM HELICOPTERS INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 604 S. MAIN STREET |
| Operator City | HARRISBURG |
| Operator State | AR |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 72432 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | JBR |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1310 |
| 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 | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| 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 | -- |