Robinson R-22 N720RJ

Summary

On 28 May 2006 at about 17:05 local time, a Robinson R-22 registered N720RJ was involved in an accident near Sanford, Maine, 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.

Date

28 May 2006 at 17:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Sanford, Maine, United States

Coordinates

43.3894, -70.7047

Aircraft

Robinson R-22

Registration

N720RJ

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sanford → Sanford

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC06CA125

Nobody was injured.

The flight instructor's inadvertent encounter with settling-with-power, which resulted in a hard landing, and subsequent roll-over. A factor in the accident was the tailwind.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor was demonstrating air-taxi maneuvers to the student pilot in a Robinson R-22 helicopter. The instructor slowed the helicopter to about 10 knots ground speed in a descending turn, and oriented the helicopter such that it experienced a tailwind. As the helicopter "settled", the pilot attempted to arrest the descent, but could not, and leveled the helicopter prior to a hard landing. The landing gear subsequently collapsed, the helicopter rolled over, and the main rotor blades contacted the ground. The instructor reported that there were no deficiencies with the performance or handling characteristics of the helicopter.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.