Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ernest A. Love Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Prescott, Arizona 86301
Saturday, July 27, 2002 13:15 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter landed hard and rolled over while attempting a practice autorotation in a field. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot experienced light turbulence and lost about 100 feet of altitude prior to the autorotation entry. About 200 feet above ground level (agl), the rotor rpm gauge showed a drop and the warning horn sounded momentarily. The student lowered the collective and the helicopter began a high sink rate. The CFI initiated a power recovery in an effort to counteract the sink rate, but the helicopter continued to sink and the rotor rpm remained low. A few feet above the ground, with the helicopter still sinking, the CFI decided to level the helicopter and brace for impact. The skids contacted the forward sloping terrain in a straight and flat attitude. The helicopter experienced a forward, left roll, and came to rest on its left side. The CFI and student pilot thought the abnormally high sink rate could have been a result of the adverse wind conditions in the area. A routine aviation weather report (METAR) for PRC, about 10 miles away on a bearing of 035 degrees, reported winds at 5 knots, gusting to 17 knots.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the student pilot's failure to maintain adequate main rotor rpm, the CFI's delayed remedial action and inadequate supervision of the flight, resulting in a hard landing. Wind gusts and the high density altitude were factors in the accident.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/27/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1315 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Prescott |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86301 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 343916N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1122510W |
| Event Location Airport | Ernest A. Love Field Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KPRC |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 10 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 35 |
| Airport Elevation | 5045 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 35 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PRC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5042 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 9000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 7500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 17 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.17 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 7657 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15915 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 27 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1540 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 29 2004 7:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Scottsdale, AZ FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N232DR |
| NTSB Number | LAX02LA239 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Robinson |
| Aircraft Model | R22 Beta |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3350 |
| 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 11 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 18.4 |
| Airframe Hours | 23.4 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Florentine Investments LLC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1022 Willow Creek Rd. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Prescott |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 86301 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Guidance Helicopters Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 6565 Crystal Lane |
| Operator City | Prescott |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 86301 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PRC |
| Departure City | Prescott |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1300 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | PRC |
| Destination City | Prescott |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 17 2004 6:16PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |