# Accident 19980315003419A: Robsin R22BETA, San Luis Obispo, CA, March 15, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 15, 1998, 16:40 local time
- Place: San Luis Obispo, CA
- Airport: San Luis Obispo County
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.2491° N, 120.6202° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.2491&lon=-120.6202&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4079M, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4079M-2017-07-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA (registry code 7640110, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBSIN R22BETA
- Reported engine: LYC O320B2C
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,205 total, 1,101 in this make and model, 155 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA115](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA115) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980315003419A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX98LA115](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA115), Mar 15, 1998: Robinson R22 Beta (N4079M), San Luis Obispo, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The 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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.