Redding Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Redding, California 96002
Monday, November 27, 2006 11:30 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The helicopter touched down hard at the culmination of a practice autorotation. During the instructional flight lesson, the certified flight instructor (CFI) monitored his student's flying. The student had about 15 hours of total helicopter flying experience. The CFI reported that the student initiated the landing flare about 40 feet above ground level (agl). According to the CFI, when the helicopter was about 10 feet agl he took over the controls, raised the collective, and rolled on the throttle to initiate a power recovery. The helicopter's low rotor warning horn sounded and the respective annunciator light illuminated. Thereafter, the helicopter contacted the ground, bounced, and came to rest after making two complete rotations about its vertical axis. The tailboom and vertical stabilizer were bent during the ground impact sequence. No mechanical malfunction or failure was reported to have occurred.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The student's misjudged landing flare, the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight, and the instructor's failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/27/2006
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1130
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City Redding
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 96002
Event Date Year 2006
Event Date Month 11
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 403053N
Event Location Longitude 1221760W
Event Location Airport Redding Municipal
Event Location Nearest Airport ID RDD
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0.5
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 505
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Pilot
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 None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 14
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 11
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
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) 20994
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Nov 28 2006 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2007 11:14AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\lema
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Sacramento, CA

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7198N
NTSB Number LAX07CA050
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
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 R22B
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 3168
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Helicopter
Aircraft Registration Class --
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 --
ELT Activated --
ELT Aided Location of Event Site --
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Aero Leasing, Inc.
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City --
Aircraft Owner State --
Aircraft Owner Country --
Aircraft Owner Zipcode --
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Air Shasta Rotor & Wing, LLC
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address --
Operator City Redding
Operator State CA
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code QVHA
Owner has at least one certificate --
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code RDD
Departure City Redding
Departure State CA
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1115
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code RDD
Destination City Redding
Destination State CA
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Landing - flare/touchdown
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2006 5:54PM
User who most recently changed record COOS
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 --