Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Heber City Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Alta, Utah 84092
Monday, July 8, 2013 8:20 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight instructor reported that the outbound training flight on the morning of the accident followed roads through mountain passes. For the return flight, the flight instructor decided to take a more direct route and fly over 11,000-foot-high mountainous peaks. The pilot undergoing instruction was controlling the helicopter during the climb, which was uneventful. As the helicopter crested the peak, the pilot initiated a descent and then began to raise the collective to reduce the descent rate; however, as he did so, the rotor speed began to decay, and the low rotor rpm warning sounded. The flight instructor took over the flight controls but was unable to arrest the descent, and he subsequently chose to perform a forced landing to rocky terrain. The helicopter struck the ground, tumbled, and was destroyed; both occupants sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was operating at a density altitude equal to or just above the helicopter’s maximum operating density altitude of 14,000 feet. At the altitude of the accident site, the helicopter was not capable of hovering in-ground-effect; therefore, it was unlikely that a landing could have been successfully accomplished in the rocky terrain. Further, after cresting the peak, the helicopter likely encountered downdrafts due to the mountainous terrain surrounding the accident site, which further degraded the helicopter’s performance. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight instructor's decision to follow a route over mountainous terrain in conditions that exceeded the helicopter’s ability to maintain terrain clearance.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/8/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 820 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Alta |
| Event State | UTAH |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 84092 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 403125N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1114219W |
| Event Location Airport | Heber City |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 36U |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 15 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 281 |
| Airport Elevation | 5637 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 815 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 101 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | 36U |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5637 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| 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) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.21 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR K36U 081415Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 16/12 A30 |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 33147 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NW ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 8 2014 8:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N712U |
| NTSB Number | WPR13LA315 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY |
| Aircraft Model | R22 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | Beta II |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3676 |
| 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 | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TUMBLEWEED LEASING CO INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | PARK CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 84098-5507 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Upper Limit Aviation Inc |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Salt Lake City |
| Operator State | UT |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 84116 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | UZRS805K |
| 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 | 36U |
| Departure City | Heber City |
| Departure State | UT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 800 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SLC |
| Destination City | Salt Lake City |
| Destination State | UT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 8 2014 8:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |