ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R22 MARINER
Lee's Summit, MO — August 18, 2013
Event Information
| Date | August 18, 2013 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | CEN13CA575 |
| Event ID | 20131125X01337 |
| Location | Lee's Summit, MO |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 38.97085, -94.34952 |
| Airport | Lee's Summit Municipal |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY |
| Model | R22 MARINER |
| Category | HELI |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The student pilot's improper flare while performing an autorotation and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action to correct the high sink rate, which resulted in a hard landing.
Full Narrative
The flight instructor was providing primary helicopter instruction to a fixed-wing pilot on how to conduct 180-degree autorotations. The instructor said the pilot entered the flare lower to the ground than usual and began to descend. By the time the instructor noticed the high descent rate, it was too late for him to recover and he was only able to apply full-up collective to cushion the impact. The helicopter landed hard spreading the skids. During the landing and the main rotor blades flexed downward and severed the tailboom.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.