Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ernest A. Love Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Prescott, Arizona 86301
Wednesday, June 4, 2014 15:08 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Shortly after departure, the commercial pilot undergoing instruction leveled the helicopter for cruise at an altitude of 300 feet above ground level, in compliance with the flight school's departure procedures. He reached down to the instrument panel pedestal with the intention of pulling the cyclic right trim knob; however, the flight instructor observed him instead reach for the adjacent engine fuel mixture control. The instructor yelled for him to stop, and attempted to swat his hand clear, however, the pilot then pulled the control and the engine lost all power. The flight instructor initiated an autorotation while simultaneously pushing the mixture control back down. The engine did not restart, and the helicopter landed hard, with the main rotor blades severing the tailboom. The high density altitude conditions, along with the helicopter's altitude and airspeed at the time of power loss, meant that it was operating on the edge of the "Avoid Operation" area of the height-velocity performance envelope. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The inadvertent activation of the engine's mixture control during cruise flight by the pilot undergoing instruction, which resulted in a total loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's inadequate monitoring of the pilot's actions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/4/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1508 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Prescott |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86301 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 344030N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1122539W |
| Event Location Airport | ERNEST A. LOVE FIELD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PRC |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 341 |
| Airport Elevation | 5044 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 1525 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 290 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KPRC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5045 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| 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) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 230 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 18 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 23 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.99 |
| 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) | 33106 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA LAX 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 2 2014 7:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N223G |
| NTSB Number | WPR14CA227 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| 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 | 3211 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1369 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 2 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 31 2014 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 19 |
| Airframe Hours | 8549 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GUIDANCE HELICOPTERS INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6565 CRYSTAL LN |
| Aircraft Owner City | PRESCOTT |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 863016132 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | GUIDANCE HELICOPTERS INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 6565 CRYSTAL LN |
| Operator City | PRESCOTT |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 863016132 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | PRC |
| Departure City | Prescott |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | PRC |
| Destination City | Prescott |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 2 2014 7:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| 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 | -- |