Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Hillsboro Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Forest Grove, Oregon 97116
Sunday, September 20, 2009 13:09 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot under instruction was preparing for a certified flight instructor (CFI) check ride and was in the left seat. The CFI was in the right seat, and the two airmen were going to practice autorotations with power recoveries. A witness with helicopter experience observed several uneventful autorotations and then stopped watching; another witness heard a bang. The witnesses then observed the helicopter descending upright with the left skid low. Investigators examined the wreckage and observed signatures indicating that the engine and main rotor blades were rotating at a low speed at impact. The main rotor blades were also coned upward, which is indicative of a low main rotor rpm state. A safety notice issued by the helicopter's manufacturer notes that main rotor blade stall due to low main rotor rpm causes a high percentage of helicopter accidents. It points out that the stall causes the main rotor rpm to rapidly decrease, and leads to an immediate uncontrolled descent.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight crew’s failure to maintain adequate main rotor speed while maneuvering, which resulted in a main rotor blade stall and an uncontrolled descent into terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/20/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1309 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Forest Grove |
| Event State | OREGON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 97116 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 454836N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1231042W |
| Event Location Airport | Hillsboro |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HIO |
| 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 | 1253 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KHIO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 208 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| 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) | 20 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.35 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 28701 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA WPR ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 15 2011 4:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N956SH |
| NTSB Number | WPR09FA459 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | ROBINSON HELICOPTER |
| Aircraft Model | R22 BETA |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0956 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 21 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 10147 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HILLSBORO AVIATION INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3565 NE CORNELL RD |
| Aircraft Owner City | HILLSBORO |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97124-6374 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | HILLSBORO AVIATION INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3565 NE CORNELL RD |
| Operator City | HILLSBORO |
| Operator State | OR |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 97124-6374 |
| 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 | HIO |
| Departure City | Hillsboro |
| Departure State | OR |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1204 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | HIO |
| Destination City | Hillsboro |
| Destination State | OR |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 15 2011 4:02PM |
| 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 | -- |