19970927029179A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robsin R22 · Huntsville, TX · September 27, 1997

Date: September 27, 1997 · 11:15 local
Place: Huntsville, TX
Airport: Huntsville Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N8316W
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW97LA366
Reported as: Robsin R22
Reported engine: Lycoming O320B2C
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 47 total47 in this make and model47 in the last 90 days

N8316WRegistration cancelled Apr 3, 1998 · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 2482 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETA

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Solo xcountry. Landed downwind. Picked up. Began right spin. Left skid hit ground. Helicopter rolled over. (-23) student pilot, on solo cross country, lost control of aircraft at a hover. He made several rapid turns, spinning to the right and impacted the ground just to the side of the active runway. The aircraft tail boom, main rotor blades, mast and tail received substantial damage.

As the FAA filed it

SOLO XCOUNTRY. LANDED DOWNWIND. PICKED UP. BEGAN RIGHT SPIN. LEFT SKID HIT GROUND. HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER. (-23) STUDENT PILOT, ON SOLO CROSS COUNTRY, LOST CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT AT A HOVER. HE MADE SEVERAL RAPID TURNS, SPINNING TO THE RIGHT AND IMPACTED THE GROUND JUST TO THE SIDE OF THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT TAIL BOOM, MAIN ROTOR BLADES, MAST AND TAIL RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW97LA366Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHuntsville, TXfailure of the student pilot to maintain directional control of the helicopter during a flare to landing. Factors relating to the accident were: the student pilot's misinterpretation of the wind direction, his selection of the wrong runway, and the resultant…Sep 27, 1997 · Substantial damage