ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 146685
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| Date: | Monday 9 July 2012 |
| Time: | 10:15 |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 Beta |
| Owner/operator: | USA Academy Of Aviation, Inc. |
| Registration: | N7527Y |
| MSN: | 3593 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2004 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4267 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-360 SERIES |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | SE of Borel and Buck roads, SW of Lake Skinner, Murrieta, California -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | French Valley Airport, Murrieta, California (F70) |
| French Valley Airport, Murrieta, California (F70) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On July 9, 2012, about 10:15 PDT (Pacific Daylight Time), a Robinson R22 Beta helicopter, N7527Y, impacted terrain following a loss of control while hovering at an off field landing site near Murrieta, California. The flight instructor was fatally injured and his student was not injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The helicopter was being operated by USA Academy of Aviation, Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. A flight plan had not been filed for the local instructional flight, which originated from French Valley Airport, Murrieta, about 0900. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
The student reported that they were practicing off field landings. According to the student, the instructor pointed toward a hill and explained that he would demonstrate a “fast landing” approach. The instructor flew toward the hill at about 50 knots, flared to slow the helicopter, and came to a hover at the center of the hill top. The instructor hovered at 3 to 4 feet above the ground heading south into the wind, performed a left pedal turn to the east and then started to lift off. At this point, the helicopter rolled rapidly to the right, and the main rotor blades hit the ground. When the helicopter came to rest, it was lying on its left side. The student exited the helicopter and found that the instructor was trapped beneath the fuselage and was not responsive. The student reported that he was not on the flight controls when the accident occurred. He did not report any preimpact mechanical discrepancies or anomalies with the helicopter.
.
The helicopter was examined by a FAA inspector and a representative from the Robinson Helicopter Company at the accident site on the day of the accident, and again on July 19, 2012, at the facilities of Robinson Helicopter Company in Torrance, California.
The helicopter came to rest on its left side with the nose on a heading of about 090 degrees, positioned 10 to 12 feet southeast of the top of a hill. The surface was loose dirt over rock. The area had sporadic patches of sagebrush ranging from 1 to 4 feet high. The main rotor mast was bent and disconnected about 6 inches above the gearbox, and the main rotor system, with the exception of the outboard section of one main rotor blade, was lying next to the fuselage. There were ground scars directly under the helicopter and one about 17 feet south of the fuselage, which was consistent in appearance with a main rotor blade tip strike.
The intact main rotor blade was bent upward about 3 feet from the hub, bent upward and back (in the direction of rotation) near the tip, and displayed chordwise creases near the tip. The other main rotor blade was separated about 3 feet from the hub, and the majority of the separated section of the blade was found about 135 feet from the fuselage. This blade was bent back at the tip and displayed chordwise creases throughout its length.
Both tail rotor blades were disconnected near the hub. One had a small dent in its leading edge, and the other displayed chordwise scuff marks. The tail rotor output shaft rotated smoothly, and the tail rotor flight controls had continuity throughout.
Neither door was installed. The left side windshield was shattered, and the right side windshield was separated from the cabin. There was a large scuff mark on the chin to the left of the landing lights. The left door frame and roof section were distorted due to impact. The cowling around the main rotor mast was dented and deformed consistent with contact with the main rotor mast. The upper stabilizer was damaged near the tip and bent midway consistent with ground contact.
Examination of the cyclic and collective flight controls revealed no evidence of any preimpact malfunctions or failures. The surfaces of the separated control tubes were angular and jagged consistent with separation as a result of overload.
The engine was examined on July 19, 2012, and no visible damage was noted. The lower spark plugs were removed, the engine was rotated by hand, and good thumb suction and compression were obtained on all cylinders. The plugs were reinstalled, and the engine was started. It ran slightly rough for the first few minutes but after it warmed up, it ran smooth at idle and at 100% rpm. A magneto check was performed at 75% rpm, which resulted in an 8% rpm drop on the left magneto and a 12% rpm drop on the right magneto. Oil pressure and temperature were normal.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from high vegetation while making a hovering turn, which resulted in a dynamic rollover. The helicopter was presumably deemed as written off (damaged beyond economic repair) as the regsitration N7527Y was cacnelled by the FAA on November 3, 2014.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
2. FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=7527Y
3. http://helihub.com/2012/07/09/09-jul-12-robinson-r22-murrieta-us-california-1f/
4. http://helihub.com/2012/07/09/california-r22-crash-kills-record-holder-pilot-johan-nurmi/
5. https://planecrashmap.com/plane/ca/N7527Y/
6. https://www.pe.com/2012/07/09/lake-skinner-helicopter-crash-kills-renowned-pilot/
7. http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/09/4619081/helicopter-crash-kills-1-injures.html
8. http://murrieta.patch.com/articles/1-confirmed-dead-in-helicopter-crash-near-lake-skinner
Location
Images:
Photo (c) Jon Adamson; French Valley, Murrieta CA
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Jul-2012 20:18 | Geno | Added |
| 17-Jul-2012 16:03 | Geno | Updated [Time, Phase, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Oct-2016 17:24 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Oct-2016 17:26 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 27-Nov-2017 20:55 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Jan-2018 15:02 | harro | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Source, Photo, ] |
| 03-Sep-2018 00:28 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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