Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Spanish Fork-Springville Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Spanish Fork, Utah 84660
Thursday, September 16, 2004 16:20 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight instructor was preparing the commercial pilot for his upcoming flight instructor practical test. He asked the pilot to demonstrate a simulated engine failure with autorotation to landing. The pilot rolled off the power and entered an autorotation. Airspeed was between 65 and 70 knots, and rpm was maintained between 98 and 100 percent. The rate of descent was 2,000 feet per minute (fpm) in the 180-degree turn, but decreased to 1,800 fpm when they lined up with the runway. Rpm was at 97 percent and started to drop. The warning horn and light activated at 100 feet agl. Rpm was at 94 percent. The instructor took control of the helicopter and applied full power and "a small cyclic flare, and lowered the collective slightly to recover rpm." The helicopter began to shake with a low frequency vibration. Rpm was between 92 and 94 percent. Approximately 50 feet agl, the instructor applied "a strong cyclic flare" to reduce the rate of descent. The vibrations continued and the helicopter continued to settle. Just before ground contact, the instructor noted the rpm needles were "married at 92 percent (sic)." The helicopter contacted the runway tail first, then the rear portion of the skids hit. The helicopter bounced and began to spin. The helicopter came to rest right side up and the engine continued to run.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm during a practice autorotation, and the flight instructor's improper flare. A contributing factor was the instructor's inadequate supervision of the pilot.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/16/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1620 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Spanish Fork |
| Event State | UTAH |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 84660 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 400829N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1113940W |
| Event Location Airport | Spanish Fork-Springville |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | U77 |
| 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 | 4529 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1615 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 130 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PVU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4497 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.92 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 7097 |
| 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 |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17416 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Ctr |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 16 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1634 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 30 2005 6:20AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Salt Lake City, Utah |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7533E |
| NTSB Number | DEN04CA143 |
| 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 2 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3646 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5200 |
| 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 | Sep 6 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 47 |
| Airframe Hours | 295 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Eric Spitzer |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 21022 Schoenborn St. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Canoga Park |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 91304 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Silver State Helicopters |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 14700 N. Airport Sr., Ste. 100 |
| Operator City | Scottsdale |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 85260 |
| 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 | PVU |
| Departure City | Provo |
| Departure State | UT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1545 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | PVU |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 30 |
| Runway Length | 5700 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |