Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Luis Munoz Marin Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Isla Grande, Puerto Rico 00726
Friday, March 16, 2007 17:15 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that he was on a training flight, circling clockwise around a point, about 40 feet above ground level. He was approximately 400 feet from the point while at an indicated air speed of 35 knots. The aircraft suddenly started to increase its yaw rate to the right. He applied left pedal to stabilize the yaw rate, which continued to increase. He attempted to stop the high yaw rate with the appropriate pedal inputs, full left pedal; however, the aircraft continued yawing. The helicopter completed two rapid 360 degree rotations. He realized he was not able to correct the high yaw rate with pedal inputs and entered into a hovering autorotation, which stopped the yawing. He landed the helicopter without injuries or damage to any property; however, the aircraft sustained damage to the landing gear due to the hard landing. According to the helicopter manufacturer the helicopter sustained structural damage from the hard landing.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadvertent encounter with a loss of tail rotor effectiveness which resulted in damage to the helicopter during the subsequent hard landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/16/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1715 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | Isla Grande |
| Event State | PUERTO RICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 00726 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 182613N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0660007W |
| Event Location Airport | LUIS MUNOZ MARIN INTL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | JSJ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 4 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 9 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1656 Atlantic Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TJSJ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 9 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3800 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.02 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 22256 |
| NTSB Notification Source | SROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 27 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 31 2007 7:09AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | San Juan Puerto Rico FAA FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N72PK |
| NTSB Number | MIA07CA107 |
| 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 | R-44-II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 11581 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2500 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | -- |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Pekkita Corp |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO Box 961 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Caguas |
| Aircraft Owner State | PR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 00726 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | JSJ |
| Departure City | Isla Grande |
| Departure State | PR |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Isla Grande |
| Destination State | PR |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 29 2007 1:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| 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 | -- |