Robinson R22 BETA N844SH

Summary

On 29 October 2010 at about 23:00 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N844SH, operated by Guidance Helicopters, was involved in an accident near Prescott, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

29 October 2010 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Prescott, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

34.6544, -112.4194

Aircraft

Robinson R22 BETA

Registration

N844SH

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Guidance Helicopters

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Prescott → Prescott

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11CA031

2 people had minor injuries.

The student pilot's failure to maintain the proper airspeed and the certificated flight instructor's inadequate supervision and delayed remedial action during a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing and rollover.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A certificated flight instructor (CFI) and a student were practicing 180-degree autorotations. The CFI noted that, during the initial entry into the autorotation, the student pilot maintained proper rotor rpm and airspeed. About halfway through the 180-degree turn, the helicopter became nose-low and the airspeed increased. As the helicopter transitioned through about three-quarters of the turn, the CFI took authority of the helicopter's controls and attempted to correct the airspeed. The CFI stated that she was unable to correct and the helicopter touched down hard in an open dirt field. The helicopter subsequently rolled over and came to rest on its left side. Examination of the helicopter revealed that the tail boom was separated and the fuselage sustained structural damage. The CFI reported that no mechanical malfunctions existed during the practice autorotation and accident sequence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.