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The instructor pilot failed to intervene in a timely manner when the pilot flying commercial student let the main rotor RPM drop excessively during low altitude orbit practice. The main rotor struck 'vegetation' before the instructor was able to recover. No injuries or significant damage to the rotor system occurred.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 963717 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201108 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201-1800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Robinson R22 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | Cruise |
| Route In Use | Direct |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Main Rotor |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Instructor Pilot Not Flying |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Commercial Flight Crew Flight Instructor |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 240.1 Flight Crew Total 1083.9 Flight Crew Type 878.3 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control Inflight Event / Encounter Object |
Narrative:
My student and I had decided to stop practicing maneuvers yet still wanted to work towards his 100 PIC requirement for his commercial rating. We proceeded from our practice area towards an area of higher vegetation and higher altitude. When we reached the area; we performed a low orbit with a slow airspeed. During the maneuver; the student over controlled the aircraft during a wind shift and a descending turn; causing the rotor RPM to decay. I took the controls and began the recovery. This ultimately led us into an area of residences and tall vegetation. After a long struggle I was able to regain RPM and maneuvered out of the area; but not without striking the rotor blades on vegetation. The damage to the rotors was within factory specifications; no persons or property was damaged.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: The Instructor Pilot failed to intervene in a timely manner when the pilot flying commercial student let the main rotor RPM drop excessively during low altitude orbit practice. The main rotor struck 'vegetation' before the instructor was able to recover. No injuries or significant damage to the rotor system occurred.
Narrative: My student and I had decided to stop practicing maneuvers yet still wanted to work towards his 100 PIC requirement for his commercial rating. We proceeded from our practice area towards an area of higher vegetation and higher altitude. When we reached the area; we performed a low orbit with a slow airspeed. During the maneuver; the student over controlled the aircraft during a wind shift and a descending turn; causing the Rotor RPM to decay. I took the controls and began the recovery. This ultimately led us into an area of residences and tall vegetation. After a long struggle I was able to regain RPM and maneuvered out of the area; but not without striking the rotor blades on vegetation. The damage to the rotors was within factory specifications; no persons or property was damaged.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.