Robinson R22 BETA N717GT
6 August 1997 · Willimantic, Connecticut, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 6 August 1997 at about 16:20 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N717GT, operated by Northeast Helicopter Inc., was involved in an accident near Willimantic, Connecticut, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 16:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Willimantic, Connecticut, United States
- Nearest airport
- Windham (IJD)
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA
- Registration
- N717GT
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Northeast Helicopter Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Ellington → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- IAD97LA106
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The student pilot misunderstood the flight instructor's instructions and reduced the engine power to idle, and the Certificated Flight Instructor's delayed remedial action.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The student pilot flew his first two flights with another instructor. After practicing various maneuvers and while hovering at about 10 feet AGL with a new instructor, the student pilot was asked to return to their home airport to practice auto rotations. The student pilot turned the throttle to idle and the helicopter impacted the ground before the instructor could recover. The student pilot stated that he mistakenly thought the instructor requested an auto rotation from their present location, as he had done on his previous flights. No mechanical problems were reported by the instructor or the student.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Aug 1997 | Robinson R22 BETA | Terrell, Texas, United States | Carl W. Houser | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Nov 1997 | Robinson R22 BETA | Long Beach, California, United States | Jack Watson | No injuries | - |
| 27 Sep 1997 | Robinson R22 BETA | Huntsville, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Oct 1997 | Robinson R22 BETA | Pompano Beach, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Dec 1997 | Robinson R22 BETA | Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, United States | Airburst Helicopters Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 25 Jul 1997 | Robinson R22 BETA | Chandler, Arizona, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jan 1997 | Cessna 310F | Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 1997 | Cessna 182K | Ellington, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Sep 1997 | Piper PA-28R-180 | Danbury, Connecticut, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 30 Nov 1997 | Cessna 310R | Hartford, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Dec 1997 | Consolidated-Vultee BT-13A | Oxford, Connecticut, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Dec 1997 | Beechcraft 1900D | Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |