ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R22
Bozeman, MT — July 21, 2017
Event Information
| Date | July 21, 2017 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | GAA17CA434 |
| Event ID | 20170722X31728 |
| Location | Bozeman, MT |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 45.77750, -111.15195 |
| Airport | BOZEMAN YELLOWSTONE INTL |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY |
| Model | R22 |
| 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 |
Probable Cause
The flight instructor’s unstabilized autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing.
Full Narrative
According to the helicopter flight instructor, he was demonstrating simulated 180° right turn autorotations.
He reported that during the entry of the third autorotation, the helicopter attitude was excessively nose low and the rate of descent was high.
He initiated a power-on recovery; however, the flare was initiated too late.
He applied forward cyclic to level the skids and increased collective to its mechanical limit, but the helicopter touched down and one of the main rotor blades struck the tailboom.
The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom.
The pilot reported in the National Transportation Safety Board's, Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, "The event could have been avoided by recovering the autorotation sooner and doing a go-around."
The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
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.