At 14:37 PST, a Robinson R44 lost power during a practice autorotation at the Palo Alto Airport. The two occupants were uninjured. The pilot said he was performing an autorotation and that the engine had been at idle for a long period of time. He said he did not think he was going to make the runway and added power, but the engine didnt come on. The pilot said he did not use carburetor heat during the autorotation. The temperature was 64 F and the dewpoint was 52, in the range for serious icing at glide power.
Feb. 2, Palo Alto, Calif. / Robinson R44
At 14:37 PST, a Robinson R44 lost power during a practice autorotation at the Palo Alto Airport. The two occupants were uninjured. The pilot said he was performing an autorotation and that the engine had been at idle for a long period of time. He said he did not think he was going to make the runway and added power, but the engine didnt come on. The pilot said he did not use carburetor heat during the autorotation. The temperature was 64 F and the dewpoint was 52, in the range for serious icing at glide power....
Key Takeaways:
- A Robinson R44 helicopter lost power during a practice autorotation at Palo Alto Airport, with both occupants uninjured.
- The pilot reported the engine was at idle for an extended period and did not respond when power was added, noting he did not use carburetor heat.
- Environmental conditions (64F temperature, 52F dewpoint) were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power.
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