Portland-Hillsboro Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Hillsboro, Oregon 97124
Monday, July 5, 2004 15:00 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The flight instructor reported that they were in the process of practicing "maximum performance takeoff abort - backwards." The student was on the controls during the maximum performance takeoff phase to an altitude of about 150 feet above ground level, and the instructor took over the controls to demonstrate the abort procedures. The instructor took the controls just prior to call for the abort. When the abort phase began, the instructor applied aft cyclic and slightly lowered the collective. The helicopter had been in a tail low attitude and started to descend into "settling with power." The instructor applied forward cyclic and lowered the collective, however the helicopter did not have sufficient altitude to level out or gain airspeed to recover before impacting the ground on the right side skid. The helicopter pivoted around about 180 degrees then rolled over onto its left side.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control resulting in an uncontrolled descent and subsequent roll over. Low altitude flight and the pilot's encounter with settling with power were contributing factors.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/5/2004
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1500
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City Hillsboro
Event State OREGON
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 97124
Event Date Year 2004
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 453542N
Event Location Longitude 1225600W
Event Location Airport Portland-Hillsboro
Event Location Nearest Airport ID HIO
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 --
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source --
Time of the weather observation
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID --
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation --
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions --
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling --
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) --
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator --
Wind Speed (knots) --
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency --
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 16415
NTSB Notification Source FAA Regional Operations Center
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Sep 29 2004 1:02PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N856HA
NTSB Number SEA04CA122
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 --
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Robinson
Aircraft Model R22 Mariner
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 1894M
Certified Max Gross Weight --
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 --
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection --
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Hillsboro Aviation Inc.
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Hillsboro
Aircraft Owner State OR
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode --
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Hillsboro Aviation Inc.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City Hillsboro
Operator State OR
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code LJES
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 --
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code HIO
Departure City Hillsboro
Departure State OR
Departure Country USA
Departure Time --
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code HIO
Destination City --
Destination State --
Destination Country --
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Aug 3 2004 5:52PM
User who most recently changed record STAM
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location NA
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --