Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Waipahu, Hawaii 96797
Wednesday, December 7, 2011 8:30 HST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The certified flight instructor (CFI) and a student pilot, who held a foreign-issued fixed-wing certificate, were on a local training flight to practice autorotations. The CFI demonstrated the first autorotation. Prior to letting the student take the controls, she reviewed the recovery procedure again. The CFI remained on the controls while the student made the control applications. One autorotation was performed successfully. The student entered his second autorotation, and, at 1,000 feet above ground level, the CFI requested that the student perform a recovery. Rather than cracking the throttle as demonstrated, the student rolled on the throttle, and the CFI felt a yaw to the right. The CFI took control of the helicopter and countered the yaw with left pedal. The CFI noted that the engine rpm and rotor rpm were excessively high, so she decreased the throttle to lower the engine rpm. She began to raise the collective to lower the rotor rpm, but neither of the rpm needles decreased. The helicopter was maintaining a level attitude, but it was descending. During the landing, the low rotor rpm horn sounded, the helicopter touched down hard, and the tail boom separated. The CFI reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The certified flight instructor's delayed remedial action and inadequate supervision during a practice autorotation. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's excessive application of the throttle.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/7/2011
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 830
Event Time Zone Hawaii Standard Time
Event City Waipahu
Event State HAWAII
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 96797
Event Date Year 2011
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 212318N
Event Location Longitude 1580029W
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
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 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) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.04
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) 29404
NTSB Notification Source FAA Comm Center
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 2 2012 9:04AM
User who most recently changed record snyg
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N817AB
NTSB Number WPR12CA056
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
Aircraft Model R22 BETA
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 1258
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 8 2011 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 65
Airframe Hours 6810
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name STASYS AVIATION LEASING LLC
Aircraft Owner Street Address PO BOX 111453
Aircraft Owner City ANCHORAGE
Aircraft Owner State AK
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 99511-1453
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Mauna Loa Helicopters
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 90 Nakolo Place, Suite 2
Operator City Honolulu
Operator State HI
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 96819
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 HNL
Departure City Honolulu
Departure State HI
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 740
Departure Time Zone HST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code HNL
Destination City Honolulu
Destination State HI
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 20 2011 6:29PM
User who most recently changed record stam
Since inspection or accident Time of Accident
Event Location Runway Number and Location N/A
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --