| Crash location | 29.883333°N, 95.833333°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Houston, TX
29.763284°N, 95.363271°W 29.4 miles away |
| Tail number | N7198H |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 12 Jun 2003 |
| Aircraft type | Robinson R22 Beta |
| Additional details: | None |
On June 12, 2003, approximately 0930 central daylight time, a Robinson R22 Beta helicopter, was substantially damaged during a hard landing while conducting a simulated emergency landing near Houston, Texas. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Helicopter Services, Inc., of Houston, Texas. The commercial pilot/flight instructor and the student pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight. The local flight departed David Wayne Hooks Airport (DWH) on a pipeline patrol, approximately 0800.
The pilot told an FAA inspector that upon completion of the pipeline patrol flight, while returning to DWH, the flight instructor rolled the throttle to flight idle to simulate a loss of engine power. The student pilot lowered the collective and initiated an autorotation to an open field, into the prevailing strong southerly wind. A high rate of descent developed during the autorotation and during the ensuing landing, the helicopter landed hard and bounced, which resulted in the separating of the tail boom from the fuselage.
The FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported that the helicopter appeared to execute a very steep approach angle at a very high rate of descent, which caused the tailboom to separate from the airframe after the helicopter impacted the ground. Ground signatures consistent with the bottom of the engine and cooling fan were found at the initial point of impact. Ground scars indicated that the helicopter bounced and the left landing gear skid collapsed, turning the helicopter to the left. The helicopter came to rest in an easterly heading. The tailboom came to rest about 100 feet east of the resting place of the main wreckage, while the tail rotor assembly and tail rotor gear box were found approximately 340 feet south of the main wreckage.
The 2001 model Robinson R22 Beta helicopter, serial number 3165, was powered by a single normally aspirated Lycoming O-360-A1D engine, producing 180 horsepower.
At 1353 local, the weather at the Sugar Land Airport, located approximately 15 miles south west of the accident site, was reporting winds from 180 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 21 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 29 degrees Celsius, dew point 26 degrees Celsius, with an altimeter setting of 29.80 inches of Mercury.
Despite repeated attempts by the investigator-in-charge (IIC), the pilot never returned a completed Pilot Operator Aircraft Accident Report Form (NTSB Form 6120.1/2).
The pilot's failure to maintain rotor RPM and the improper landing flare resulting in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the prevailing high winds.