What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Rated student pilot was on second solo flight in R-22 helicopter. He was working toward a helicopter rating. While attempting to pick aircraft up to hover, he allowed aircraft to slide left. Aircraft was in field and left skid contacted large clump of grass. Aircraft entered dynamic rollover conditions and rolled onto left side. Aircraft was substantially damaged. Pilot suffered minor injury. (.19) on October 4, 2002, about 1130 eastern daylight time, a Robinson R-22, N222MQ, registered to m. spitzer helicopter leasing, operated by corporate aviation inc., as a 14 CFR part 91 instructional flight, rolled over on its right side while taking off to a hover. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter sustained substantial damage and the airline transport rated pilot reported minor injuries. The flight was originating from Franklin County Airport, Louisburg, north carolina, at 1130. The pilot stated he was on his second supervised solo flight and was taking off from the sod area located adjacent to runway 22. As he applied collective pitch the front skids of the helicopter came off the gr ound and the rear skids remained on the ground. He continued to increase collective pitch; the helicopter became airborne, yawed to the left and started drifting to the right. The right skid collided with the ground and the helicopter bounced back into the air. When the right skid collided with the ground again, the helicopter rolled over on its right side. Examination of the helicopter revealed the cabin bubble was broken, both main rotor blades sustained damage, and the airframe on the right side sustained structural damage. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the helicopter.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) RATED STUDENT PILOT WAS ON SECOND SOLO FLIGHT IN R-22 HELICOPTER. HE WAS WORKING TOWARD A HELICOPTER RATING. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PICK AIRCRAFT UP TO HOVER, HE ALLOWED AIRCRAFT TO SLIDE LEFT. AIRCRAFT WAS IN FIELD AND LEFT SKID CONTACTED LARGE CLUMP OF GRASS. AIRCRAFT ENTERED DYNAMIC ROLLOVER CONDITIONS AND ROLLED ONTO LEFT SIDE. AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. PILOT SUFFERED MINOR INJURY. (.19) ON OCTOBER 4, 2002, ABOUT 1130 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A ROBINSON R-22, N222MQ, REGISTERED TO M. SPITZER HELICOPTER LEASING, OPERATED BY CORPORATE AVIATION INC., AS A 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE WHILE TAKING OFF TO A HOVER. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOT REPORTED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING FROM FRANKLIN COUNTY AIRPORT, LOUISBURG, NORTH CAROLINA, AT 1130. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS ON HIS SECOND SUPERVISED SOLO FLIGHT AND WAS TAKING OFF FROM THE SOD AREA LOCATED ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 22. AS HE APPLIED COLLECTIVE PITCH THE FRONT SKIDS OF THE HELICOPTER CAME OFF THE GR OUND AND THE REAR SKIDS REMAINED ON THE GROUND. HE CONTINUED TO INCREASE COLLECTIVE PITCH; THE HELICOPTER BECAME AIRBORNE, YAWED TO THE LEFT AND STARTED DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT. THE RIGHT SKID COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND AND THE HELICOPTER BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR. WHEN THE RIGHT SKID COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND AGAIN, THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED THE CABIN BUBBLE WAS BROKEN, BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES SUSTAINED DAMAGE, AND THE AIRFRAME ON THE RIGHT SIDE SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT REPORTED NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE HELICOPTER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.