Accident Overview
On August 2, 2016, at approximately 1027 mountain standard time, a Robinson R22 helicopter (registration N22UH) landed hard at Ernest A Love Field Airport in Prescott, Arizona. The helicopter was engaged in an instructional flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, with a certificated flight instructor and a student pilot on board. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight had departed Prescott about 0950.
Sequence of Events
The student pilot and the flight instructor were practicing straight-in autorotations. During the glide, at about 400 feet above ground level, the student pilot was at the controls. The instructor noticed a fast rate of descent and a decay in rotor RPM. The instructor announced taking the controls and began applying collective and throttle control to recover rotor RPM. However, the instructor felt the collective go up and reiterated that he had the controls. Despite efforts, the instructor was unable to arrest the descent or recover rotor RPM before the hard landing occurred.
Damage and Injuries
Upon touchdown, the landing skids collapsed. The main rotor blades contacted and severed the tail boom. The helicopter came to rest on its left side. Both the flight instructor and the student pilot sustained minor injuries. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tail boom. The flight instructor reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.