Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
New Braunfels Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
New Braunfels, Texas 78130
Thursday, April 30, 2009 16:50 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The instructor pilot was performing flight checks on the single-engine helicopter after maintenance had been performed. The instructor pilot and private pilot on board had completed three straight-in autorotations and one 180-degree reverse direction autorotation. The instructor set up on downwind and initiated a second 180-degree autorotation. When the turn was almost completed, the rotor RPM started to drop. The instructor decided to initiate a power recovery go-around. Power was applied but the helicopter continued to settle and hit the ground in a level attitude. The helicopter rolled on its left side and sustained substantial damage. Both occupants exited the aircraft unassisted and were not injured. No system anomalies were discovered.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate main rotor rpm during a practice autorotation. Contributing to the accident was the instructor pilot's delayed remedial action.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/30/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1650 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | New Braunfels |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78130 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 294210N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0980219W |
| Event Location Airport | New Braunfels Municipal |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KBAZ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1651 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KBAZ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 651 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4200 |
| 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) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 16 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 20 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.89 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KBAZ 302151Z AUTO 16016G20KT 10SM FEW042 32/ |
| 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) | 25609 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Regional Operations Center, FT |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 22 2009 1:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7519V |
| NTSB Number | CEN09CA273 |
| 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 HELICOPTER |
| Aircraft Model | R22 BETA |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3565 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1370 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 30 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1706 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SPITZER MATTHEW |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3809 AMYX CT |
| Aircraft Owner City | HAYWARD |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94542-1401 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | SPITZER MATTHEW |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3809 AMYX CT |
| Operator City | HAYWARD |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 94542-1401 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Flight Test |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | KBAZ |
| Departure City | New Braunfels |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1615 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KBAZ |
| Destination City | New Braunfels |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 19 2009 10:50AM |
| User who most recently changed record | gamw |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 13 |
| Runway Length | 5352 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |