19980315003419A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robsin R22 BETA · San Luis Obispo, CA · March 15, 1998

Date: March 15, 1998 · 16:40 local
Place: San Luis Obispo, CA
Airport: San Luis Obispo County
Phase of flight: Forced Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4079M
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX98LA115
Reported as: Robsin R22BETA
Reported engine: Lycoming O320B2C
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,205 total1,101 in this make and model155 in the last 90 days

N4079MRegistration cancelled Jul 6, 2017 · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 1816 · Built 1991 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETA Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

Student pulled mixture instead carburetor heat on approach. Oil autorotated to grass. Run on fast log. Nosed over. (.4)the flight instructor reported that he and the dual student were doing traffic pattern operations to a grass area parallel to runway 29. The CFI stated that while they were on the downwind leg of the first pattern about 500 feet AGL, the student was on the controls and was preparing for the approach with the prelanding checklist. The student reached down to apply carburetor heat, but instead pulled the mixture to idle. The engine stopped and the instructor then took over the controls and performed an autorotation to the grass field. The helicopter continued forward on the ground after the touchdown and the front portion of the skids became imbedded in the ground and the helicopter then nosed over. The blades hit the ground and the helicopter rolled over and came to rest on its right side.

As the FAA filed it

STUDENT PULLED MIXTURE INSTEAD CARBURETOR HEAT ON APPROACH. OIL AUTOROTATED TO GRASS. RUN ON FAST LOG. NOSED OVER. (.4)THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT HE AND THE DUAL STUDENT WERE DOING TRAFFIC PATTERN OPERATIONS TO A GRASS AREA PARALLEL TO RUNWAY 29. THE CFI STATED THAT WHILE THEY WERE ON THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE FIRST PATTERN ABOUT 500 FEET AGL, THE STUDENT WAS ON THE CONTROLS AND WAS PREPARING FOR THE APPROACH WITH THE PRELANDING CHECKLIST. THE STUDENT REACHED DOWN TO APPLY CARBURETOR HEAT, BUT INSTEAD PULLED THE MIXTURE TO IDLE. THE ENGINE STOPPED AND THE INSTRUCTOR THEN TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS AND PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION TO THE GRASS FIELD. THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED FORWARD ON THE GROUND AFTER THE TOUCHDOWN AND THE FRONT PORTION OF THE SKIDS BECAME IMBEDDED IN THE GROUND AND THE HELICOPTER THEN NOSED OVER. THE BLADES HIT THE GROUND AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER AND CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE.

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 LAX98LA115Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSan Luis Obispo, CAThe student pilot's inadvertent pulling of the mixture, instead of the carburetor heat, while preparing for the approach, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision.Mar 15, 1998 · Substantial damage