Event LAX91LA097

1991-02-10 PIRU, California, United States None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N8491A

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 ALPHA

Year of manufacture

1984 · 7 years old at event

TCDS

H10WE · ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO

Engine

LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19840420

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S ABA3C4

Registrant of record

AAROW AIRCRAFT LEASING LLC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N8491A Robinson R22A None

Probable cause & findings

FAILURE OF THE CFI TO MAINTAIN MAIN ROTOR RPM DURING A DEMONSTRATED AUTOROTATION.

Factual narrative

THE CFI WAS DEMONSTRATING A 180 DEGREE AUTOROTATION TO HIS STUDENT IN A 25 KT WIND. THE CFI ALLOWED THE MAIN ROTOR RPM TO BLEED OFF AND WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER THE RPM BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND THE MAIN ROTOR SEVERED THE TAILBOOM. THE HELICOPTER THEN ROLLED OVER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_LAX91LA097.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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