Robinson R22 BETA N393LE

Summary

On 7 May 2010 at about 23:32 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N393LE, operated by Mountain Ridge Helicopters LLC, was involved in an accident near Mendon, Utah, 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

7 May 2010 at 23:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Mendon, Utah, United States

Coordinates

41.7219, -111.9364

Aircraft

Robinson R22 BETA

Registration

N393LE

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Mountain Ridge Helicopters LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Logan → Logan

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR10LA232

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power due to a failure of the magnetos as a result of inadequate maintenance.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot departed on a local area training flight and found a suitable area to perform practice autorotations. During the first autorotation, the engine experienced a loss of power. The CFI assumed control of the helicopter and the student attempted to restart the engine. During the touchdown, the right skid caught on the terrain, and the helicopter rolled to the right. The CFI indicated that it appeared the grass-covered terrain was flat and would make a good emergency landing spot; however, upon touchdown he realized that the terrain was rough. A post accident examination and test run of the engine by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector did not reveal any operational anomalies with the helicopter. Disassembly of the magnetos revealed evidence of internal arcing. The magneto manufacturer and engine manufacturer had issued service bulletins related to the inspection of the magnetos every 100 hours and 500 hours. The 500-hour inspection required that the magnetos be removed from the engine, disassembled, inspected, and serviced. According to the FAA inspector, review of the maintenance records for the helicopter showed that neither service bulletin had been complied with.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.