Robinson R22
Smoketown, PA — November 4, 2019
Event Information
| Date | November 4, 2019 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | GAA20CA060 |
| Event ID | 20191104X20318 |
| Location | Smoketown, PA |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 40.04167, -76.20194 |
| Airport | SMOKETOWN |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | Robinson |
| Model | R22 |
| Category | HELI |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAWN |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The student pilot's improper cyclic input while hovering and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
Full Narrative
The flight instructor reported that he was providing a discovery flight to a potential student. He completed a cruise flight and landed the helicopter to show the student how to hover. He lifted the helicopter to 3 to 4 ft above the grassy field north of the runway, and while having positive controls of the collective and anti-torque pedal, he gave the cyclic control to the student. While the instructor was "guarding" the cyclic, the student applied right cyclic and the helicopter descended, and the right skid contacted the ground. The instructor applied left cyclic, but the helicopter dynamically rolled over and impacted terrain.
The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system and horizontal stabilizer.
The flight instructor reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions 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.