Robinson R22
Ocean City, NJ — August 10, 2018
Event Information
| Date | August 10, 2018 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | GAA18CA483 |
| Event ID | 20180810X14143 |
| Location | Ocean City, NJ |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 39.26361, -74.60750 |
| Airport | Ocean City Municipal |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | Robinson |
| Model | R22 |
| Category | HELI |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The flight instructor's decision to conduct hover practice at a lower altitude than recommended and his delayed remedial action during recovery from an unstable hover, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
Full Narrative
The instructor in the skid-equipped helicopter reported that during hover practice he transferred the flight controls to the student while the helicopter was hovering about 3-feet AGL, instead of a normal 5-foot AGL hover. After a short time, the hover became unstable and he took the flight controls. However, the instructor was not able to regain control of the helicopter. The left skid contacted the ground and the helicopter rolled onto its side.
The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom and vertical stabilizer.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.