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CEN13CA575

2013-08-18 · Lee's Summit, Missouri, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport LXT

Current FAA registration · N8316D

Make / Model
ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 MARINER
Year of manufacture
1994 · 19 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19941111
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AB5F3F

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The student pilot's improper flare while performing an autorotation and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action to correct the high sink rate, which resulted in a hard landing.

Factual narrative

The flight instructor was providing primary helicopter instruction to a fixed-wing pilot on how to conduct 180-degree autorotations. The instructor said the pilot entered the flare lower to the ground than usual and began to descend. By the time the instructor noticed the high descent rate, it was too late for him to recover and he was only able to apply full-up collective to cushion the impact. The helicopter landed hard spreading the skids. During the landing and the main rotor blades flexed downward and severed the tailboom. The flight instructor was providing primary helicopter instruction to a fixed-wing pilot on how to conduct 180-degree autorotations. The instructor said the pilot entered the flare lower to the ground than usual and began to descend. By the time the instructor noticed the high descent rate, it was too late for him to recover and he was only able to apply full-up collective to cushion the impact. The helicopter landed hard spreading the skids. During the landing and the main rotor blades flexed downward and severed the tailboom. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Delayed action-Instructor/check pilot - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2013_CEN13CA575.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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