Robinson R22 BETA N489TJ

Summary

On 15 March 2008 at about 23:00 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N489TJ, operated by Kent Leighton, was involved in an accident near Horseshoe Bay, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 March 2008 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Horseshoe Bay, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Horseshoe Bay (4XS7)

Coordinates

30.3258, -98.3269

Aircraft

Robinson R22 BETA

Registration

N489TJ

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Kent Leighton

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marble Falls → Marble Falls

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW08CA082

1 person had minor injuries.

The certified flight instructor's delay in taking remedial action which resulted in an unsuccessful autorotation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a flight review the private pilot completed three practice autorotations to an unimproved open field, terminating in a power recovery. During the fourth practice autorotation the pilot could not get the engine to respond during the power recovery. The flight instructor took over the controls, at about 100 feet above ground level, and completed the autorotation to a touchdown. According to the flight instructor, he had to flare steeply to avoid a tree line. The helicopter touched down on the heels of the skids and tail stinger. The aft section of the tail boom separated from the helicopter when the main rotor blades contacted the tail boom and the tail rotor assembly. The pilot said the flight instructor initiated an aggressive flare and struck the ground hard, and that there was a violent shudder as the helicopter leveled the skids. The helicopter came to rest upright. There was no post crash fire. The pilot reported a minor injury and the flight instructor reported no injuries. An examination of the helicopter's engine by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies; additionally they reported that more than a half tank of fuel remained in the helicopter at the accident site.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.