Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Irvine, California 92602
Monday, September 14, 2009 19:06 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight instructor informed the private helicopter pilot under instruction (PUI) that the purpose of the practice autorotation was to demonstrate ways in which to reach a suitable landing zone in the event that an engine failure were to occur in an area with limited landing zones. The intention was to focus on the glide with a power recovery before the need to flare. The instructor entered the autorotation while the PUI observed. The instructor was demonstrating s-turns, beginning with a right 90-degree turn, followed by a left 180-degree turn, and ending with a right 90-degree turn to bring the helicopter back to the original heading. The rotor rpm remained in the green arc or above during the entire maneuver. During the last right 90-degree turn, the helicopter passed through what the instructor estimated to be 200 feet above ground level (agl), where he decided to discontinue the autorotation due to insufficient airspeed (40 KIAS), and a higher than expected rate of descent, which lead to a lower than anticipated height above ground. During the time it took for the instructor to decide to abort the autorotation, the helicopter had descended to approximately 20-30 feet agl. The instructor initiated a flare, and he focused on keeping the skids level, but the right skid hit a dirt ledge adjacent to the proposed landing spot that was approximately 6 feet higher than the surface of the intended landing zone. As the right skid impacted the ground, the helicopter pitched forward, and the nose impacted the ground. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions at the time of the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight instructor's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed and his delayed recovery action during the practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/14/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1906 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Irvine |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92602 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 334051N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1174215W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1853 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 255 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SNA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 56 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2800 |
| 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) | 20 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.95 |
| 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) | 26216 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA AWP Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 23 2009 1:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N796SH |
| NTSB Number | WPR09CA448 |
| 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 HELICOPTER COMPANY |
| Aircraft Model | R22 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3731 |
| 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 | Aug 29 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 4054 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NU VISTA AVIATION LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 432 ORANGE GROVE AVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | VISTA |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92084-6218 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | NU VISTA AVIATION LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 432 ORANGE GROVE AVE |
| Operator City | VISTA |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 92084-6218 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CNO |
| Departure City | Chino |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1700 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | CNO |
| Destination City | Chino |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 23 2009 5:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |