Accident Overview
On September 3, 2011, at 1430 eastern daylight time, a Robinson R-22 helicopter, registration N7197W, sustained substantial damage following a ground collision during a practice autorotation at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), St. Petersburg, Florida. The helicopter was operated by Razor Blades Helicopter Incorporated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an evaluation flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
Pilot and Examiner Injuries
The commercial pilot received minor injuries, while the designated pilot examiner (DPE) was uninjured.
Pilot Account
According to the commercial pilot, the purpose of the flight was to complete his certified flight instructor check ride. During the first segment, all maneuvers were uneventful. The DPE then instructed the pilot to demonstrate a straight-in autorotation with a power recovery. The pilot conducted the maneuver, but the DPE was unsatisfied and asked for a repeat. The pilot performed the maneuver to the DPE's satisfaction and was then asked to perform an autorotation with a full stop. During the full-stop autorotation, as the pilot began to flare to slow the helicopter, the DPE began shouting. The pilot did not understand what the DPE was shouting about, and shortly thereafter the helicopter became uncontrollable. The helicopter climbed to the left, and the pilot attempted to push the cyclic forward to regain control. The pilot stated that the DPE held the cyclic back. The helicopter then collided with the ground and rolled over on its left side, resulting in substantial damage to the tail boom and tail rotor.
DPE Account
According to the DPE, this was the commercial pilot's third attempt for this check ride. On previous attempts, the pilot's slow reaction time caused difficulty in emergency operations, leading to unsatisfactory performance and termination of the evaluations. During the accident flight, the pilot was instructed to perform a touchdown autorotation. The DPE stated that during the maneuver, everything appeared to standard until the flare started. The pilot did not arrest the sink rate, resulting in a tail-low attitude. The tail boom struck the ground, and the helicopter rolled onto its left side. The DPE stated that he did not touch the cyclic control and did not agree to act as pilot in command. According to 14 Code of Federal Regulations 61.47(b), the examiner is not the pilot in command during the practical test unless the examiner agrees to act in that capacity by prior arrangement with the applicant.