Robinson R22 N227WM
15 May 2023 · Spanish Fork, Utah, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 15 May 2023 at about 17:00 local time, a Robinson R22 registered N227WM, operated by Utah Helicopter, was involved in an accident near Spanish Fork, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 17:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Spanish Fork, Utah, United States
- Coordinates
- 40.0791, -111.8668
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22
- Registration
- N227WM
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2007
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Utah Helicopter
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Spanish Fork → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR23LA191
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The instructor pilot’s improper landing flare during a straight-in autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The flight instructor and student pilot performed a straight-in autorotation with a power recovery maneuver to simulate landing the helicopter with a complete power loss. As the instructor demonstrated the autorotation, during the glide, the instructor realized that he was going to overshoot the landing spot, and forced the helicopter out of trim, which enabled the helicopter to increase its decent rate. As the helicopter crossed 100 ft above ground level, the instructor trimmed the helicopter and noted that the helicopter’s airspeed and rotor RPMs were about 50 knots and 95%, respectively. The instructor initiated a flare and the helicopter started to sink. He then rolled the engine throttle UP and raised the collective, but the helicopter landed hard. Subsequently, the main rotor struck the tailboom, which sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor reported no mechanical failures or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Jun 2023 | Robinson R22 | Buchanan, Australia | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 14 May 2023 | Robinson R22 BETA | Brady, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 3 May 2023 | Robinson R22 | Toyoma, Japan | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 2023 | Robinson R22 BETA | Sevierville, Tennessee, United States | Sevier County Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jan 2023 | Robinson R22 | Boa Vista, Brazil | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Oct 2023 | Robinson R22 BETA | Caldwell, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jan 2023 | Piper PA-34-220T | New Harmony, Utah, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Sep 2023 | Cessna 180K | Monument Valley, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Aug 2023 | Piper PA-28-180 | Ritchfield, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Mar 2023 | Harris Robert W ZENITH CH 801 | Brigham City, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Sep 2023 | Cirrus SR20 | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | Elevate Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 2023 | Cessna 177RG | Spanish Fork, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |